Edelweiss
by Cowjump
Summary: Upon the shoulders of a Schnee rests the world. Ages of legends burden their purpose and olden nobility has eroded in time, yet amongst this family stands an outlier whose goal is to restore the honor that once existed. Weiss knew her purpose, but not her own life. During this summer break from Beacon Academy, she would find that knowledge and a friend who would last a lifetime.
1. Chapter 1: Favor

Thank you for clicking on this story. Before we get started, I'd like to make a quick note to those unfamiliar with my style of storytelling. First, I know that the word count is large for a single chapter. My chapters are not intended to be read in a single sitting, but are meant to bridge the gap between the time one instalment is posted and the next. However, because this story is being written in tandem with another, this will only last a reader perhaps a fraction of the wait. If the word count is intimidating for this chapter, know that the others will be of more or less the same length. If chapters of this size do not interest you, I apologize, but the story will retain this verbosity.

_Edelweiss _is a companion novel to _Valence_, another story I am writing. It is not necessary for you to read _Valence_ to understand this tale, but it would certainly add context. _Edelweiss_ will run for five chapters and will total over 100,000 words by the time it is complete. As with _Valence_, PDF versions of these chapters are linked to on my profile in the case that the longer sentence/paragraph lengths prove incompatible with Fanfiction's formatting.

To those who have read _Valence_, this chapter takes place during the events of chapters four and five.

Again, thank you for clicking on this story and allowing me the opportunity to entertain. Without further ado, I will leave you with chapter one of _Edelweiss_. I hope you enjoy.

* * *

><p>Chapter 1: Favor<p>

Since generations immemorial, the Schnee name has struck awe in those who are aligned, envy in those who work beside, and fear in those that dare oppose. From the day the Lord Protector Wilhelm Schnee in the First Age, when the moon was still whole and the Grimm were scant few, sat beside dear friend Atlas, Vanguard of the North, Champion of His People, and Sovereign of Dust, the family of Schnee has remained stalwart and vigilant as they await their gracious rise to throne. With a patient smile, Lord Schnee attended King Atlas who had been of another name until that powered sediment raised him from humble farmer to humanity's paradigm. The Schnee family will remain loyal to Atlas, for at that time, his dear friend who had been Captain of the Äschernen Berge—later, the Snowy Mountains—stood fast to defend the peasant's honor in the face of the guards' attempted confiscation, but this action proved woefully unnecessary when the creatures of Grimm attacked. Once Atlas had realized Dust, he quickly rose to power with secrets and knowledge at his discretion and with a friend by his side. Since that time centuries ago, the Schnee family has only grown in circumstance, rising far above the Arcs of Vale, the Ducoeurs of Mistral, and even the elusive Al-Shams Flotilla of the Vacuo wastes. Yet in this tumultuous Eighth Age when the moon has scattered, the Grimm lick their wounds, and many of the prominent bloodlines have run dry, neither kings nor lords have any power.

During the Fifth Age—during the time of unification and the Second Fall of Vacuo—the Schnee family found their long sought-after power. However, neither coup was staged nor takeover of any kind initiated, but instead impotence found the childless king, and with his death, Atlas' dynasty ended. In the wake of his passing, the kingdom's people turned to the last Lord Protector, then Lord Regent to the Atlesian throne, and saw him decline the opportunity. In recent history, this Wolfgang Schnee has been seen as the family's greatest failure, but from a practical, unburdened perspective, he was the single-most influential person to this modern age behind old King Atlas. However, his efforts to ease the continent out of its monarchy-dependent mindset and into a parliamentary system allowed the success of not only the Schnee family in its present state, but so too the four kingdoms through widespread economic prosperity and a culture that promoted individuality over servility. Of course, because he initiated Atlas' golden age and died before having a hand in its progression, his reputation has been concealed and repudiated by the present head of the Schnee family.

Instead, the many warriors of the family name stand out. Above all others, there was Wilhelm, the first in their bloodline and the second to master the use of Dust, but there was also Ursel who lent her name to the bear-like Grimm through her exploits in the battle at Schwarzstadt that ended the Second Age as well as Siegfried of the Fifth Age whose breakthrough in Dust-based weaponry altered military strategy worldwide in a matter of days. Those who could show their strength in immediately recognizable ways were held on a pedestal within the current house of Schnee. Those who were not warriors—or, in more modern times, business revolutionaries—were to be kept out of sight for all future members of the family. However, this revisionist history had a glaring irony to it that Otto Schnee was doubtlessly aware of yet strived to amend through his own progress and influence.

Schnees who had sponsored the formation of the trade language, developed the walls that keep the Grimm from civilization, and set precedents for all other kingdoms with Atlas' parliamentary system were mere shadows in the family's history. Rather, they were to be expunged from time so to uphold the family's name, but the two present heiresses were aware of their history, yet only one cared. And in this way, it is odd to say that a Schnee cared, for their characterization since the end of the Seventh Age has been of the villain-tycoons who have no thoughts outside of greed and power.

Greed was not a conscious fault in Weiss Schnee's character, but a drive for power existed within her as it does with all others on Remnant. This was no attempt to dominate the kingdoms or find leverage over another person, but instead this was the younger heiress' need to have power over her own life and future. Even still, this was not enough for the media who she had spoken to only once and at a time when unbridled emotions controlled her answers.

Every Schnee since Wilhelm has had a reason for his or her prosperity. More often than not, these reasons tended to be bold business ventures, innovations in regard to Dust research, or even missions of diplomacy, but interspersed were the warriors whose legends extended far out beyond the confines of Schnee Manor—rather, Glatteis Manor in more recent decades. Weiss was not certain which category she fell into, if any at all. She was certain that her sister, Winter, was of the former and her father, too, despite his insistence that he is of the latter variety. Though, Otto Schnee's behavior should not be spoken of lightly. All Schnees, by the end of their lives, would have legends written about them, and his were thus far numerous and unsettling.

Regardless, Weiss knew that her time would come soon enough. Now was not her time nor would it be for a long while, but she would wait. Waiting was what she had been trained to do.

Winter's role in the company was of heiress and shadow to their father. Weiss' position was simply third in line and nothing else. She was to wait until her father either died or retired so he could pass on his position to Winter after whose subsequent death or retirement would lead to Weiss' opportunity. It was a morose fate that was never guaranteed because Winter was only a few years older than Weiss and in peak health like their father. Weiss had done internal estimations at numerous points in her life as to when her opportunity would arise, and the answers were seldom uplifting, yet she would never argue against this order of succession. No matter how many questionable decisions her father made or how little attention Winter gave, Weiss would remain loyal to them because they were family.

Love had not existed, not for a long time. Practicality, reason, logic, understanding, knowledge; all were the principles taught by Otto and were practiced daily to an almost militaristic degree. Winter had abided and learned well, but all this did was isolate Weiss.

Of course, she would learn these principles; the education she had been given was top-notch and left no room for ignorance. Tens of thousands of Lien had been spent on her conditioning alone, not to mention her sister's. From an early age, she had been trained in business practices and ethics when the information would have otherwise been incomprehensible to others of the same year. She had learned of debate and rhetoric and even the subtleties of manipulation so that a conversation would always be in her control. Then came her knowledge of the classics—arts, literature, linguistics, philosophy, the sciences, and mathematics—to which she could apply her speech and address a broader audience. Finally yet concurrently, etiquette had been instilled in the heiress, and from this came her patience.

Far too many times had she spent a day simply talking with people—people of importance to some, no doubt, but of superfluous meaning to all members of her family. Her handshake had become calloused and cold like those around her and her mind would instinctually dull as a form of self-defense against the bumbling drones she commonly came in contact with. Had she any sway in matters, she would have paid more attention, but she was third in line and was never allowed to forget it.

It should not be inferred that Weiss ever saw her life as trite or unfortunate. She knew of her family's position and enjoyed the response it allowed when she gave an order to anyone. The general exorbitance that surrounded her in everyday life was befitting and comfortable while the range of opportunities she had was nearly endless. However, seventeen years of the same general routine for the effect that she would eventually (in an estimated eighty-something years) take the reins of the Schnee Dust Company had inspired dissatisfaction.

Legends were not created by waiting, and she knew this. Weiss had expressed multiple times to her father how she desperately wanted to make a difference in the world, but he had reminded her that not only was she third in line to the throne, but she had been born as an heiress and not as an heir. He was a twisted man indeed who fought to uphold the family's rule of forbidding female members from combat that had been set in place just before the Grimm War that ended the Seventh Age. All the while, he spoke of Ursel and Hilda who, as heads of the Schnee house at their respective times, fought fiercely to uphold Atlas' security. Despite her father's restrictions, Weiss somehow knew that she could fight like her foremothers.

Her arguments that would pester her father for a year's time would result in an exception to the forbidding rule and allowance for her to have the same training he had in the art of swordplay. Almost immediately, she was proven correct. She could fight, but not like her foremothers, for neither hammer nor daggers could fit her expertise. Weiss learned with a sword as all male Schnees had and crafted her technique like none other.

Instructors came and subsequently fell to her natural talent, but even still she knew Otto did not think her a warrior. Perhaps the besting of the many instructors of increasing renown came from her ability to foresee a person's immediate actions. Of course, her learned semblance helped, but her instructors had semblances, too, and were far more experienced in their utilizations. However, it was her meticulous mind that could not slow on the field of combat that gave her an edge over another. By foot movements alone, she could tell what actions her attacker would next take regardless of the weapons he held. By the end of her training—rather, by the time she had exhausted the queue of instructors—she had proven herself able to defend the house of Schnee.

Once again, she had been informed that this defense could only come once she took the throne from Winter or if the White Fang chose to strike. However, this latter option was no longer a feasible one ever since the construction of Glatteis Manor on Kaiser Island. There was no hope of excitement for her at that age of fifteen because she knew that her life would consist solely of waiting until an opportunity found her.

Unfortunately, such an opportunity never came. Weiss would stay vigilant with her studies and continue to improve her combat technique, but it was not until both actions led her to Dust that epiphany struck her. She knew of the Dust-based ammunition and ordnance her family both supported and developed, but she never thought to use it herself because of her chosen style. However, she knew of old King Atlas' tale and knew that her predecessors had harnessed Dust for their protective needs, leading to her eventual forging of Myrtenaster—a sword that she believed would balance her fighting style between passionate legacy and cold sensibility. And it was with this rapier, primed with Dust and honed to a deadly edge, that she saw an opportunity.

The profession of a hunter had never been a romanticized concept to the heiress, being that it was only just a step above the Atlesian military in terms of what had been called "grunt work." Perhaps it was her grandfather or great-grandfather who had instilled the notion in her family that service to their kingdom was for lesser men. Whatever the case was, it was wrong, and Weiss knew that only she could see this—not Winter and especially not their father. In the current decline of their name's power and standing, when others saw Schnees immediately as the monsters they once fought, Weiss knew her family was separating itself from the rest of the world. Perhaps reunification would be her goal and legend, but to do so, she had been told to wait for her sister's death. Yet if ever there was a profession where an individual could make a difference outside of a corporate or governmental environment, it was of a hunter, or, in her case, huntress.

In this assumption, she would eventually prove correct, leading her to the present situation, but she had never lived a fairytale life and thus had to fight for her desires. When this profession was brought to her father, an immediate laugh came over him. She was a Schnee and had a reputation to uphold, he argued. Indeed she did, but the reputation had become muddled and grotesque, leading to the White Fang's aggression against them. She knew that becoming a huntress did not necessitate a more compassionate standing in the public's eye nor did it promise life after her stint within whichever academy she might choose. However, combat had done her predecessors well and she believed it might benefit her in kind.

Her father said she was not a warrior. Weiss, being the inherently stubborn girl that she was, challenged this claim, and when her sword was drawn, so too was his. She neither won nor managed a hit during the brief exchange, and worst yet, she was not given the privilege of an honorable defeat. He simply sheathed his sabre and walked away mid-fight as he asked the name of the academy she wished to attend.

As loyal as she was to Atlas, no school within its boundaries would be safe from her father's control. Of course, no kingdom was immune from the Schnee influence, but an academy of another land would more than likely be harder to sway. For this reason, she spat the word "Beacon." He assented, and a week later, an evaluator from Vale came to Glatteis Manor to test the heiress. With no small effort, she had passed and had been accepted into the school, but learned perhaps too late that there were fighting styles that she was entirely unfamiliar with—ones that used hands and firearms and weapons of which she could not begin to fathom descriptions for. There was a world outside of Atlas, and though she had seen it many times before, she knew now that she was a part of it.

The only support that she had ever been given was monetary in value, never sentimental. This trend would continue as she departed for the faraway academy. Neither Winter nor her father had the decency to wave her farewell, but she should not have expected such a flourishing show of emotion. While they had sent her away with assistants to port her luggage, she knew that they were simple formalities. She was left alone and in painful silence that would last the entire flight to the academy.

If Weiss had been asked when she was five years of age what she wanted to be when she grew up, she would have answered "a princess." At eight years of age, her answer would have been "a Schnee." At thirteen, her answer would have been, "a warrior." At seventeen, "a leader." Yet if one were to ask Weiss Schnee (descendent of Lord Protector Wilhelm Schnee and Ursel, who lent her name to the Grimm) what she wanted to be at eighteen years of age, she would have no answer to give. Perhaps "a huntress" or, once again, "a warrior" would have been acceptable answers for the time being, but these only represented short-run goals and she had been trained to think in terms of long-run strategy. There had, however, been a recurring descriptor that drifted regularly throughout her mind ever since the end of her first semester at the academy. As strange as it was, Weiss wanted nothing more than to be a teammate for the next few years. Rather, she wished to exceed at this prospect and prove not only to others, but herself, that the Schnee lineage was still human and salvageable.

Her time at that school proved far different than she had anticipated, with the chief irregularity being that she was not readily welcomed by anyone. However, her arrival at the academy, while jarring to her and causative of change within her outlook on society, is not the purpose of this tale—her actions and adventures within Beacon Academy are told elsewhere. This tale, which should not be seen as the beginning of her legend (for her legend began prior to this present situation), is of the respite after her second semester at the combat school, specifically, her summer break. The linkage to her aforementioned history comes in the forms of outlook and motive. While no one is a facsimile of their mothers or fathers, it would be wrong to say that we do not live without the burdens of their knowledge, prestige, and expectations. Weiss certainly did. Her father and her father's father and all fathers and mothers before lived on in the back of her mind, reminding her often that her actions were for her family—not the family that her father had undermined, but her family.

But to digress to our tale's true beginning, perhaps the frequently mentioned "present situation" should be identified.

* * *

><p>In the sprawling capital of Vale, under the canopy of mirrored glass high-rises, white-bricked businesses, and a particularly warm, pleasant sun that made both styles of architecture glimmer, an alabaster limousine drove along a boulevard with intent to transport its passengers into the commercial district of the city. Those pedestrians who walked alongside the road were many and merry while within this vehicle were the four girls who comprised Team RWBY. Their present situation was of their summer break that, in an uncanny turn of events, left them collectively housed within this city—rather, on its outskirts, but further description in this regard is irrelevant for the moment. Weiss' excuse for not returning to Atlas had been ambiguous but truthful, leaving much to be desired while being respected by the others in her group.<p>

But nothing as level-headed as respect was on any of their minds at the moment, as all four were of polarizing emotions. Ruby Rose was perhaps (and surprisingly) the calmest of them all, being that she happily watched the passing sights flash by the window opposite her bench. Of course, this action was proven rather awkward because her gaze often landed upon Yang, Blake, and the partnership's shared affections. For the sake of this tale's relative brevity, it should be summarized that Blake Belladonna and Yang Xiao Long are, as of earlier in this second day of their summer break, dating. However, descriptions as to their current level of affections (which Weiss thought uncharacteristic for her Faunus teammate) and the means of their relationship's founding are not of this tale. No, this tale is of that young leader who felt awkward looking out the opposite window and her unamused partner in white who glared at the couple who rested their heads against one another.

"Will you two stop?" Weiss asked with no small amount of disgust lacing her tone. Unfortunately, neither girl paid any heed, instead nuzzling closer together and contentedly sighing at the emotion they allowed each other.

This was absurd—impractical, deviant, juvenile. They were huntresses tasked with upholding the barriers of humanity and defeating their snarling doom. Emotions were to be afterthoughts to their actions, not causative factors. Relationships were not simply unnecessary in this profession, they could only prove detrimental by way of slowing their movements, staying their hands, and muddling their decision-making processes. And this only accounted for relationships between a hunter and a civilian. Weiss had never read of relationships between two huntresses, and the present existence of one thusly mortified her. Their inane whispers and absent-minded compliments could not bode well for future combat endeavors. Attachment to a person who was off of the battlefield caused a defensive drive to protect the significant other from invading Grimm, yet a relationship between two huntresses meant that both were on the battlefield. In Weiss' mind, such affection would only get the entire team killed.

For that matter, Weiss was not fond of the term "friend" when referring to her teammates, not because of her lack of companions at a young age, but because of the similar attachment friendship causes in comparison to a romantic relationship. She would gladly delve into the inherent camaraderie that the team aspect allowed, but hesitated to call her teammates friends. Out of all of her teammates, she might eventually consider Blake a friend because they were of like minds and dispositions, despite the Faunus' previous affiliation with a blood-thirsty terrorist group. Even then, this present relationship marred Weiss' opinion of the girl in black.

Ruby would eventually answer for her sister and teammate, exclaiming, "But Weiss! You can't just stop young love!" This response garnered glares from those around her, with two out of the three holding incredulous blushes and the condescending third showing disdain. For this, the young leader backpedaled. "Uh, I mean young…like?" The glares did not immediately relent, causing her to laugh nervously.

Fortunately for the young girl, these tensions would eventually subside and her remarks would be forgotten. Despite this outburst, Ruby continued to be relatively calm for her usual self and Weiss could hold no concrete reservations against her. While the heiress did not believe in friendship, her partner did, as evidenced by the number of times Ruby had referred to Weiss as though such a bond existed. There was also the matter of the invitation Weiss had been given to spend her summer at the house of the sisters. As annoying and childish as Ruby so often proved to be, she was tolerable at times and genuinely kind—a trait that has proved difficult for any Schnee to find in another.

Due to Weiss' first impressions of the young leader, she still could not admit Ruby as anything more than a partner. She was endearing, of course, but unprofessional. They worked rather decently as a cohesive unit with the combination of Weiss' training that resulted from generations of proud warriors and Ruby's… Well, Weiss could not place what exactly made her partner competent. Actually, it is to say that she believed Ruby to be an excellent warrior, if frequently reckless. In fact, the girl who was two years younger than the trained heiress had been the second person to make Weiss question her own fighting style. She was adaptive, quick, and accurate, all while being earnest and supportive. Regardless, she was still a child and could easily become an annoyance as she had just been.

However, Weiss did not wish to remain in this angered state and thus released it with an inaudible sigh. Traveling had a habit of bringing headaches to the heiress and the transition from the academy to the large city which required long car rides was no different. It is not to say that she held any negative sentiments towards the young girl, but Ruby had unfortunately taken the brunt of the headache's effects through Weiss' ire upon waking up. Yet, cheerful as ever, Ruby only flinched momentarily to the irked outburst. Instead of shying away, she offered the heiress breakfast which came in the form of leftover pizza from the tired night before, a glass of tap water, and, thankfully, aspirin. Weiss, having been taught to be gracious when offered such assistance, took the meal with an admittedly insincere smile. Along with this, Ruby offered light conversation that seemed more so purposed to soothe the headache than discuss any demanding subject.

Weiss had known of Ruby's sincerity, but the events of this morning had shown her partner in a far different light than of the "dunce" she had so often been called before. Of course, Ruby still had her faults (of which there were many under the critical eye of a Schnee), but she had been a satisfactory partner and was the reason Weiss strived to become the best teammate she could. The heiress would maintain her stance that Blake was better suited to be a "friend" (if ever there could be one), but Ruby had gained her respect to an extent. For this, the heiress decided that treating Ruby with her usual derision would not be appropriate, at least not for today. Weiss promised herself that the events of today would be her means of paying back the debt she now owed her partner through civility, tolerance, and reciprocated kindness.

Now the four girls who comprised Team RWBY were on their way into the city so to tour it and gain an understanding of their summer's locale. At least, this had been the plan devised by Ruby and Weiss. If the heiress was correct (and in most cases, she was), then this plan of all four of them touring together would amount to herself and Ruby actually paying attention to their surroundings while Blake and Yang continued to focus on each other. This fact was entirely reprehensible, yet there was nothing she could do to counteract it. Instead, she sighed again and resigned to simply waiting for their eventual destination.

Fortunately enough, they would soon arrive in the center of Vale's commercial district and would all step out of the vehicle into the crowded square. While the towering fountain to their side distracted the others through its noise and grandeur, Weiss set her sights on the crowd around them and the stone shoppes surrounding this plaza. Vale was a densely populated city—perhaps the largest she had ever seen—and every time she visited, she had been surprised by the size of the crowds. She was not scared of the masses per se, merely aware of them. She saw the fleeting patterns in the sea of what could easily have been a thousand mindless individuals and found that the place where they had arrived was hosting some sort of street festival or scheduled market. Numerous stands and booths lined the perimeter of this square, corralling the crowd within as they circled through to see what was in stock. With this pattern observed, Weiss understood the general disposition of the mob and knew how to traverse it.

However, traversal was secondary on her list of current priorities with the first being her teammates' returned attention. Fortunately, the suited man who acted as their chauffeur and one of her personal assistants asked in his disingenuously even tone, "Will there be anything else, Lady Schnee?" This had drawn the attention of the three who stared at the fountain and the ire of the fourth.

How she loathed the honorifics they placed on her name. Neither was she a lady nor her father a lord, and yet the title still continued as though their family were considered royal. However, argument would only prove detrimental to her cause, being that the attendants had been trained to add the honorifics regardless of distaste. Moreover, they reported directly to her father on even the most infinitesimal details such as a disregard for tradition. Instead of reprimanding him, she kept her expression calm and shook her head. "No, thank you. I will call when we require your services later."

He gave the same slight, condescending smile that the attendants always did before bowing his head and turning back to the limousine. Weiss continued to watch him enter the vehicle and drive away with that same smirk. She watched him out of care for herself and to dissuade him from telling her father anything, but she knew he would. Those smirks meant that some sort of progress had been made in her life that would warrant a report to Glatteis Manor. Fortunately, she had sent him away and he could not disobey this order, leaving the four free from the invisible gaze of Otto Schnee.

Weiss was pulled from her spiteful reverie when she noticed Ruby moving to stand beside her. The young leader had a perplexed expression about herself as she looked to the crowd around them. "What now?" she asked, apparently forgetting the plan that she had co-founded.

This single instance of immediate forgetfulness managed to subvert the promises Weiss made to herself about remaining calm and keeping ridicule to an absolute minimum. "We've already gone over this," she groaned in response. "We are just going to look around and see where everything is."

"But where do we start, Weiss?" Ruby pointed to the crowd and the many roads behind them that branched from this town square. She seemed overwhelmed, but there was no excuse for this. The girl resided in this city and should have had some sense of where they were. Because the young leader seemed to lack this quality, it proved rather difficult for Weiss to maintain her composure—which, in reality, she did not because a frown had burdened her countenance.

The heiress spoke slowly and insistently so to make sure Ruby understood what was being said. "It does not matter which way we go. No matter where we go, we will still achieve our goal of exploring the city."

"Yeah, I get that, but _where_? I don't know if you know this, Weiss, but Vale is huge!" She stretched her arms out to either side to better convey the description. "There's tons of stuff down all of these roads and I don't even know where to begin! That, and we kinda forgot the map, but we don't even know where we're going in the first place."

Within this latter statement, Ruby had divulged a piece of information that was entirely new to Weiss, causing the heiress to forgo her level-headed sentiments. She glared at the girl in red. "You forgot the map?" Had Ruby forgotten the one item that might spare them all from wandering aimlessly through this metropolis—the one item that they had spent the morning writing on and marking for this specific occasion?

"Kinda!" Ruby exclaimed warily.

"How could you 'kind of' lose a map?" the heiress snapped. "There is no grey area in this matter! You either lose the map or you do not!"

"What do you want me to say, I didn't bring the map?" This was less so wary and more so genuinely confused.

"Yes!" Weiss sighed. "That is exactly the answer I am looking for!"

"Hey!" This shout came from neither of the bickering two and thus garnered their immediate attention. "Lovebirds!" This exclamation, however, caused reactions on both Ruby and Weiss' parts, being that of a shocked blush on the former and an infuriated blush on the latter. Yang stood nearby, grinning like a fool as she held the traitorous Faunus' hand. The flushing reaction on Weiss' part was mostly out of incredulous anger, but some small part of her had been reluctant to accept the term simply because of how boldly and matter-of-factly it had been shouted. The heiress was torn between denouncing this erroneous description and shouting back at the blonde. However, she would not have the chance to even begin either action as her witless teammate continued. "Me and Blake are going to head out. We'll meet you back here at seven. See ya!"

Just as suddenly as this declaration had been made, the other partnership departed, leaving Weiss to simply glare at them as they ran off and Ruby to pitifully fall from her disagreeing state into one of crestfallen acceptance. Weiss should have expected this abandonment as soon as she saw how attached Yang was to Blake. It was obvious in hindsight that the other partnership would want time to themselves, but it was unfortunate as well because this left her own plan in shambles.

The heiress wanted to be angry at the other two, but she knew they were beyond her control. Weiss heaved a deep sigh and turned to her partner. She had broken her promises and now the young girl seemed lost without her sister's expected presence. This state was doubtful to have come from Weiss' actions, but the girl in white knew that this morning's kindness still needed be paid back and her debt had only grown because of the short exchange they had just held. She moved to her partner with another sigh before saying simply, "Come on." The girl in red looked to her, seemingly confused. "With or without them, we will follow through with our plan. It would be a shame to let our work go to waste and I certainly do not wish to stand here until they return."

"But what about Yang and Blake? What'll they do? They didn't see the plan."

"Whatever they choose to do is of their own prerogative and has nothing to do with us." Unfortunately, this response caused the young leader to stare concernedly at the spot her sister once stood. The reparations that Weiss had promised were not presently working, leading her to suspect that a more placating route might better suit the situation. "I am sure they will find something to occupy their time, but whatever they choose to do will in no way alter our situation. I'd rather we find something to do as well."

Ruby blinked, assumingly recovering, however slowly, from her sister's sudden escape. "Well, what do you want to do?"

Weiss closed her eyes as a means of calming the headache that was beginning to come back to her. "Frankly, I don't care. You were chosen as leader and I am willing to follow." She paused, mulling over what she was next going to say and deciding that it was opportune, if uncharacteristically submissive. "You may choose what we do today."

Surprisingly, this did not elicit a cheery grin from the young girl, but instead a reassured smile. "Thanks, Weiss, but I don't really care, either. Though, you're probably right; it'd be dumb to just stand here all day. Wanna just wander around like we said we would?"

To say that this sudden change in expression was odd to the heiress would be an insufficient description of her surprise. In this particular instance, she had expected Ruby to perk up and be her regular, energetic self, but this reaction had been relatively unprecedented. Once again, she did not have the means of understanding this supposedly simple-minded child. This response had been, strangely enough, more mature than she was used to Ruby being. Instead of care-free, she had been careful and instead of impulsive, she had been passive. Weiss unwittingly blinked and showed this confusion, but quickly covered up this expression with her regular condescension. "That would be the plan, wouldn't it?"

Ruby let out a short laugh and teased, "Oh, come on, Weiss. Lighten up a little! It's the summer." Unfortunately for her, Weiss was not yet in the joking mood and gave a flat look. Unsurprisingly, this elicited the expected action from the leader in the form of a blatantly nervous chuckle. "Or, I mean, you could stay like that. That'd be cool too." The unamused stare held and made Ruby even more nervous than she already was, breaking the chuckle and causing the girl to glance at the area immediately around them. "So…uh, should we go now?"

This question did not warrant an audible response, Weiss believed, and thus she walked forward, into the crowd and towards a branching path from this square that was yet obscured by the masses and the booths beyond them. The sudden movement seemed to find Ruby off-guard, causing her to quickly catch up and eventually match her partner's quick, efficient gait. "So, uh, is there anything you wanna do? I know you said we'd wander, but we can't just do that forever." This deserved a response, but their current surroundings required attention, leaving all of Weiss' focus on the crowd that reluctantly parted to her commanding presence. "I mean, if you want, we could get lunch or something." The heiress disregarded this question not because it was uninteresting, but because it was irrelevant in the midst of this crowd. "Okay," Ruby sighed. "I'll just shut up now."

Hearing this resignation had a paradoxical effect on the heiress' emotions. On one hand, it was satisfying to hear that the inane chatter would come to an end, but on the other, this self-destructive effacement was reminiscent of her own that existed many years ago. Still, Weiss would maintain her uninterested expression as she parted the otherwise happy people. Soon enough, the crowd would be at their backs and before them would be the stretch of cobbled promenade on which so many jubilant individuals walked. After no more than a second of appraisal at the stone buildings to either side of this wide corridor, Weiss halted and turned her gaze on her now glum partner.

The cause of Ruby's discontent was entirely unknown, being that the heiress never truly cared for her partner's emotional wellbeing and thus lacked experience in reading her. However, the girl's disappointed frown blatantly contradicted Weiss' attempts at repaying her kindness. Furthermore, Ruby's uncharacteristic expression was only added to by her piteous speech. "Please don't be mad, Weiss. I'm sorry about whatever I said. I just wanted to make sure you could have fun today."

Weiss simply stared at her, mulling these words over and realizing the sincerity behind them as Ruby's expression sank deeper into the pit of doubt. Eventually, the heiress would sigh and reluctantly drop her distant expression. "I apologize for not paying attention to you," she appeased. "I would blame this headache, but it is not as bad as it was this morning and I cannot completely attribute my attitude to something so commonplace. Truthfully, it was your sister who caused this expression with her refusal to abide by our plan. However, I should have expected her abandonment and I should be used to this sort of disappointment by now. So, again I apologize, Ruby. I am not quite my usual self at the moment, as you can likely tell." She paused for a moment and added, "You did not do anything wrong."

Once again, the leader's reaction was unexpected. Rather than expressing relief at the apology and the knowledge that she was not the cause of Weiss' ire, Ruby seemed concerned. "Wait, you mean the aspirin didn't help?" Weiss did not have time to answer. "Well, let me make it up to you for making you mad. We need to get you some water and find a place to sit down. We can't have you passing out on the second day, can we?"

"Ruby," sighed Weiss exasperatedly. Her original intent for this response was to snap at the young girl for seeing the situation as more dire than it actually was. Instead, she shook her head. "It's fine. This headache is merely an annoyance, not a hindrance. And even if it was, I've dealt with worse before. I appreciate your concern, but I would rather return to our plan than deviate. Perhaps in doing so, it will go away in time." Then, due to her promise, she was compelled to muse, "And perhaps some conversation wouldn't hurt. I found our talk earlier surprisingly helpful."

At this, the young girl finally beamed. "Sure!" she chirped. "I don't know what we'd talk about, but I'd love to help!"

This was the sort of positivity that so often provoked Weiss' offense. She could never say that Ruby's personality was necessarily grating, but it often was annoying. Weiss attributed this distaste to her past life where positivity had been only a front for shallow usurpers whose focuses were ulterior and subversive. These people had, in effect, completely sullied the positive spectrum of emotions for the heiress through consistent disingenuousness. Because of this, Ruby's positivity had always struck Weiss immediately as deceitful, despite her awareness that it was not. Fortunately, the young girl was genuinely enthused about the prospect of assistance and Weiss could not fault her for this. As annoying as Ruby often proved to be, Weiss could never disprove her partner's earnest personality, and she was thankful for this. Being near someone who was honest about her emotions was refreshing and gradually restorative.

The two began their stroll down this promenade, without aim and beside one another. Around them were the fruits of this kingdom's focus. Whereas Atlas enjoyed its military might and Dust innovations, Vale seemed to focus on reconstructive efforts—not of governmental or even physical aspects such as houses or businesses, but of societal and cultural matters. At many points along this avenue were artists who designed spectacles both grand and intricate that could be seen on both canvases and the city itself. Concurrently, music of myriad varieties drifted through the air, creating a jaunty atmosphere instead of the cacophony that most would expect. The two had just passed a drum trio and were approaching what looked to be the string section of an orchestra (though, Weiss was certain that the group was an experimental endeavor and did not necessitate a link to an orchestra). Meanwhile, what could only be approximated as a solo tenor saxophonist could be heard playing a soothing tune far off in the distance.

It was a peaceful city that Weiss quite enjoyed—especially more than the general bleakness which Kaiser Island offered. It was warm, the people seemed happy for no particular reason, and the sights and sounds that surrounded the heiress inspired a desire for creativity and progress on her own part. However, she was pulled from her admiring thoughts by her partner's startled shout and sudden halt. Ruby's arms waved frantically as she tried to move her balance backwards as though she were teetering on the precipice a harrowing cliff while she shouted, "Weiss, help!"

The cause of Ruby's surprise had been a sidewalk painting that, from her perspective, must have looked like a perilous drop into a sea filled with jagged rocks. Regardless of what she saw, Ruby was about to fall onto someone else's work, thus causing Weiss to pull the young girl back by her cape. Keeping with her civil intent, Weiss calmly assured, "It's a painting, Ruby. You are not going to fall into an ocean in the middle of a city. But if you do not watch where you are going, you are liable to ruin someone's day."

"Wait. Painting?" Ruby looked to the cliff before her, and after a couple seconds, her eyes widened in realization. "Wow! That's a painting?" Weiss hesitantly nodded at her partner's sudden intrigue. The young girl looked over the piece in what could only be equated to child-like amusement, making the heiress question the veracity of her partner's life-long residence in this city. "That's so cool! How do you even make it look that? I mean, it looks like something out of an old cartoon!"

"Perspective," Weiss quipped dryly. Of course, Ruby would not understand the intent of this answer, but that did not dissuade the heiress from venting some of her frustrations.

She would remain beside her partner for the time being as the veritable child gawked at this rather large painting. With the conversations of the masses around them overpowering the slight sounds that were closer to the heiress, Weiss did not notice that a woman was approaching Ruby's side until she said, "I see you've taken an interest in the painting." Ruby turned to look at the figure that Weiss could only assume was the creator of this piece. This judgment came from the perspiration that nagged at this yawning, yet energetic individual. Ruby stood frozen in place as she simply nodded in lieu of an intelligible response. "Well, thanks!" the artist smiled. "If you have any questions, I sure wouldn't mind answering them."

Whoever this person was, she seemed relieved to take a break from her painting on this day of above-average temperatures. Unfortunately, the means of her break seemed to be Ruby—the girl who had no qualms with stating how hesitant she was about speaking to new people. Because the young leader had helped Weiss with her headache, the heiress would act in kind, choosing to interject herself into the conversation before it became any more awkward. "If it's all right with you, I have a few questions," she said, moving forward to step into the artist's line of sight. She was then permitted with a grin to ask her hastily made inquiries. "May I ask what this piece is about? I see the depiction of a sheer drop that I can only assume is intended to inspire a sense of awe and, in the case of this one here," she waved her hand towards Ruby, "fear. And judging by the inclusion of water, I would assume that this represents Vale in some way?"

The woman nodded. "That's about the gist of it. Yeah, it's supposed to represent Vale. You know the cliffs surrounding the valley? That's what this drop-off is and the water, as you probably guessed, is the ocean."

"And what of the rocks?"

"Well, judging by that sword on your belt, I'd bet you'd know." The woman's presuming statement fell on Weiss' flat gaze, leading her to elaborate. "The rocks are the hunters from all the way up at Beacon. Without you guys, we'd just be a city in the valley, waiting for the Grimm to attack. But with you guys…well, it certainly boosts our confidence to do stuff like this." She motioned to her painting.

Whether she knew it or not, the artist was complimenting Ruby and Weiss, but the latter was entirely uninterested in her flattery. "How long did it take you to finish this project?"

The woman gave a short laugh. "Oh, I'm not done yet. Gotta make sure everything's in order first, but by now I've probably been working on this for somewhere around seven or eight hours. I got out here at five, I think, and have been working ever since." She laughed again. "I'm glad it hasn't rained, though. I was going to hold off on doing this until after another front passed by, but it seems like it's just going to be dry for the next few days—or so I hope."

"Indeed," Weiss agreed. She then turned to look at the painting again, realizing that there was not more she could say on the matter. This woman seemed desperate for reprieve, but Weiss was not interested in providing her with shallow discussion. As such, the heiress decided that she would begin moving this conversation towards its inevitable conclusion. "It is not often that I say this, but I enjoy this piece. Though, I must admit that I am perhaps biased since this is the first of this type of painting I've seen. Nevertheless, I find it interesting and I think it is well done."

Suddenly, the woman's smile fell away and was replaced by an uncertain look. "Wait," she drawled. "Do I know you from somewhere? You look really familiar." Weiss sighed, knowing what was about to happen and coming to terms with it in this brief exhalation. The woman's eyes widened and she gasped, "You're…!" As expected, she did not finish this exclamation before she stepped away and sheepishly apologized. "I, uh…I'm sorry, but I have to get back to work." At this, the woman retreated without another word and moved to the far end of the painting.

Her apology was shallow and insincere, but so too was Weiss' conversation for the most part, and as such, the woman could not be faulted to that end. Weiss was upset with her to some degree, but she knew that this reaction was not the effect of her speech. The artist's fear had been caused by what had been done to the Schnee name. Because of this, the heiress was somewhat disheartened, but would not dare take action against her. Instead, she glowered at the woman and growled in the back of her throat.

Fortunately, Ruby moved to stand beside her, unwittingly halting on top of the painting (an action which Weiss could not say she was displeased with). "What was that all about?" she asked.

Weiss sighed, "Nothing."

"That sure didn't look like nothing." Weiss continued to leer at the woman who had so readily dismissed her at the realization of her surname. Ruby must have noticed this. "Hey, is something wrong? She didn't make you mad, did she?"

"Of course not!" the heiress instinctually exclaimed. It took a moment for her to recompose herself, and eventually she continued with a more civil attitude. "This is relatively nothing. She simply judged me before she met me—she spoke with me and yet she still judged me because of my name. Honestly, yes, I am fairly upset, but this will not be a hindrance."

"So, she doesn't like you because of your name?"

"As do most."

"Why's that?"

She truly was a child, Weiss thought. Perhaps her innocence was genuine and she honestly did not know. With the way she had acted on their first days at the academy, Weiss could guess that the young girl was oblivious to the social stigmata that attached themselves to the Schnee name, but even then, this level of ignorance—no, innocence—was bewildering. "It's…a long story, Ruby."

"Well, that's okay. I like stories! You can tell me about it while we find something else to do."

Weiss' point in saying what she had was to dissuade her partner from asking about the story. The tale was complicated and would doubtfully be allowed every telling detail that existed about her family's darker history. Furthermore, Weiss did not feel enthused enough to speak for as long as the story required. However, they were without the prying eyes of her father's assistants and this was a rare occurrence that the heiress felt compelled to take advantage of. The story behind the fall of the Schnee name—at least, her perspective of the story—had proved frustrating to keep confidential. Having no one to confide in over the course of her eighteen years left the heiress in a state of distrust and hesitation whenever the subject of her family arose, but now Ruby was allowing her the opportunity to freely speak her mind for once. "Okay," Weiss all but whispered.

Ruby seemed to have heard this, likely causing her renewed enthusiasm as she began to walk down the thoroughfare and through the crowd with abandon. Weiss followed after, but did not speak immediately. The story was convoluted in the extreme, with ambiguous actions and morally grey areas abound, leaving any sort of logically flowing narrative difficult for the most part. However, Weiss would order her events in a way that would best make sense to an outsider's perspective while providing the information in a positive light for the Schnee name.

She cleared her throat, catching her partner's eager attention. "You are aware of the Schnee family in that you are aware of the business practices and governmental ties that they have, are you not?" The young girl nodded. However, Weiss knew that Ruby was only humoring her. It was likely that she knew some aspects of the company, but she was a child, after all. "The Schnee name has existed for a very long time. For as long as Dust has been utilized by humanity, we—that is, the Schnees—have maintained a dominating presence on the world stage. We are the lead suppliers, manufacturers, researchers, developers, and whatever else have you in anything regarding Dust and have been this way for nearly five-hundred years." Ruby gave a low whistle and made a small comment about five-hundred years being a long time. "There is no other family on Remnant like us in this respect, and because of this—among other things—society has come to distrust us.

"My great-grandfather began buying shares in other companies, focusing research on creating better versions of the products they made, and, at times, even buying out the companies themselves. And I should remark that these companies were not small businesses or even simple franchises like those around us. The companies my great-grandfather bought were previously established and integral to our society but have since lost their names and prestige after being acquired by the Schnee Dust Company. Perhaps the animosity society holds against us comes from the fact that these companies and corporations were related and, after being combined, created a global monopoly on Dust.

"My grandfather followed this progression, but did not limit himself to competing Dust companies." The heiress sighed wearily, causing Ruby's brow to arch. "Perhaps it was his doing that began the decline of my family's prestige, though I'd like to believe it was someone else. He was ruthless and efficient in undermining competitors and he had the forethought to buy businesses that otherwise would not have had any interaction with us just so he could ensure his company's longevity. By his hand, the Schnee Dust Company expanded into unnecessary territories and now we have influence over nearly every market conceivable."

Weiss turned to look at her partner, expecting to find an expression of newly acquired hatred or the ever-so-popular desire for dissociation, yet found her smiling, apparently listening with rapt attention. This was entirely odd to the heiress—not Ruby's attentiveness, but the fact that someone was actually listening to her. Of course, she had given orders and had been heeded then, but those were one to two sentences at most. She did not quite know what to do with this attention other than continue speaking, but she felt relieved that another enemy was not being made in her partner. Yet relief was not the only emotion that existed within the heiress at this present moment. An invisible, subconscious smile unwittingly tugged at her lips due to Ruby's natural kindness.

She continued. "Neither my grandfather nor my great-grandfather were hateful people, despite what most would think. I had only the privilege to meet my grandfather before he passed, but in the few times that he spoke to me, I came to understand his reasons for acquiring the other businesses. After the end of the last Grimm War, the kingdoms focused on reconstruction of ideals and moral philosophy more than they did physical aspects of their everyday lives. The walls around the kingdoms had toppled, cities razed, families broken, but all anyone wanted to do was debate ethics and inspire creativity. Schnees are, by nature, pragmatists, leaders," she paused and then added, "warriors. Buying the other companies was intended to set society back on track. My grandfather said that we were always the force behind the world's decisions, regardless of the morality."

"And what about your dad?" Ruby asked. "I mean, if your great-grandfather bought everything Dust-related and your grandfather bought everything else, what could your dad do?"

He contradicted everything the Schnee name stood for. Of course, Weiss would not answer this way, but this is what she thought. "For lack of a better description, my father bought Atlas' government."

"Wait. What?" As expected, Ruby seemed confused by this. "How much did that cost?"

"There are some things even I do not know about my family, Ruby. How he managed to gain leverage over the kingdom we swore to protect is a mystery to me and one I dare not investigate lest I be convinced to further his cause." She sighed. This would be the first time she spoke negatively about her father to another and yet she felt no fear. "Nearly sixty percent of Atlas' GDP is attributed to the dealings of the Schnee Dust Company, making my father wealthier than even the kingdom itself. Because of this, he has somehow made Atlas' government dependent on his funding and has even meddled in military affairs to secure his position.

"Before I was born, my father took the initiative to supply the military with everything they needed without being asked. This included uniforms, weapons, transports, communications equipment, provisions, intelligence, defense contracts, and the list goes on. I am certain that the commanding generals are at his beck and call rather than the government proper. They more than likely know who is signing their paychecks now. At the same time, he is not the most…compassionate of individuals, leading public opinion of him to drop even further. I won't assume what his plans are, but I know that he is aware of his actions and their consequences."

A foreboding silence lingered after this last word. Otto Schnee was family to her, but he had disobeyed the oldest edict in their family's history by taking advantage of Atlas. What was worse was that he was the only one with the knowledge and understanding to keep the company alive with its unwieldy scope. Winter could not aptly lead a company of such magnitude and neither could Weiss, but they had been trained to do so anyways. To Weiss, her future seemed admittedly frightening because of what her father had done and how consistently successful he had been. And after all her interactions with Ruby—who was, in her mind, a fair representation of the world's people—the heiress realized that she lacked the confidence and competence to settle even personal quandaries without resorting to her sword's point.

Fortunately, these darker thoughts were cast aside by her partner's speech. "So," Ruby laughed, "that means you'll be queen of Atlas one day?"

Weiss sighed—not out of annoyance, but out of disgust at the thought. "I'd certainly hope not. I'd like a leadership position of some sort, but we do not need to regress to monarchies."

"Yeah, but you'd be great at it! You're smart _and_ you know what's happening in your kingdom. That's more than a lot of parliament can say."

Weiss surprised even herself when she let out a short, morose chuckle. "I've been telling my father exactly that for years now. Unsurprisingly, it has never fazed him."

"Then he's dumb," the young girl surmised. "Yang always told me that if someone has their head up their…actually, I forget the entire saying, but it meant that if someone doesn't want to hear another person's opinion when the other person is right, then the person who's not listening is probably not very smart."

Weiss shook her head. "I can assure you that my father is anything but unintelligent. Conceited though he may be, it takes a considerable amount of patience and knowledge to usurp an entire government. I agree with the stance that his unwillingness to accept outside—or even inside—opinion is wrong, but this is a man whose character is founded upon the necessity for a warrior. And though he may be more businessman than fighter, I should discount neither his intelligence nor his combat prowess."

Ruby hummed in thought. "Yeah, but I could probably take him. That'd set him straight, right?"

This girl was both a child and a definitive byproduct of her sister's over-confident teachings. "Ruby, even I have proven unable to best my father in combat."

"Yeah, but I can take you, too."

This caused Weiss' brow to pique. "That is still up for debate."

"Nah," Ruby waved off. "I'm still up by two."

"We are _not_ having this discussion right now," asserted the heiress. Ruby made a show of rolling her eyes, causing Weiss' further defense. "Our sparring record holds no relevance if you are unable to defend it. Being that we lack a designated arena for you to do so, your record is moot and therefore means nothing."

"All right, all right," conceded the young leader. Weiss smirked at this, seeing it as a victory for herself, but lost her expression when she heard Ruby mumble, "Talk about not listening to someone when they're right."

Weiss attempted to glare at her partner, but when she turned, she found Ruby beaming as though nothing was wrong in the world and as if the previous conversation on why the heiress was hated had not occurred. This look caused Weiss' own to falter and dissipate. She had been hasty with this glare and had not yet realized Ruby's intentions. Her ineffectual teasing was a means of transitioning from a problem of deep-rooted concern to a subject of little importance. In this regard, Ruby had proved clever.

There was something about the girl that Weiss could not entirely understand even after this last school year. Perhaps it was only her motivation, drive, or morality, but the cause of Ruby's positivity and her reason for becoming a huntress were linked to a revelation that Weiss could not so much as glimpse yet. She was selfless like her sister, but in a way that was less about the individuals immediately around her and more so about every being—good or evil—that may walk this planet. This was likely what Weiss had been able to empathize with and what had caught her attention. Though the heiress was far from selfless, she had the best interests of the world in mind. Because of this similarity, Weiss was drawn to the young girl—not out of any friendly or hostile sentiment, but for a reason she did not yet know. Whatever made Ruby act the way she did was something that Weiss felt the need to investigate, but not now. No, today was not the day for ulterior motives.

As Ruby smiled at nothing in particular and glanced often at the bustling shops and restaurants to either side, Weiss found herself in a state of calm that had not felt in a long time. Normally, she would find herself irritated by the waves of pedestrians passing her by due to the inherent unruliness of it all, but even the chaos was comforting in comparison to the frozen stillness of Kaiser Island. It was simply a pleasant summer day the likes of which she could have never encountered in the more northern latitudes. Except for a sporadic few, the people here were warm like the city's climate, being open with their conversations and blissfully unaware of where they walked. These people seemed only to desire peace on this day, not inconvenience as Weiss initially thought.

Unfortunately, she would eventually be pulled from this admiring calm by her partner's spontaneous enthusiasm over something in the distance. With an excited grin, the young girl bolted ahead in a flurry of rose petals towards whatever it was she had seen, leaving Weiss alone. "Ruby!" the heiress exclaimed in sudden frustration. Resentfully, she marched after her partner who had disappeared into the crowd. Obligatory kindness was momentarily forgotten as Weiss scanned the nearby establishments for her impulsive teammate, but once she saw the girl in red, she dropped her outraged sentiments.

Ruby stood before a man clad in gold—rather, a man painted entirely in gold from skin to suit. However, if the young girl had simply stared at this man, then there would be no need to remark upon the event. Instead of staring at this man on the pedestal, she looked to be instigating some sort of reaction on his part with the childish faces and sounds she made. To his credit, the man (who, by this point, Weiss had ascertained was a living statue) did not so much as look at the pestering figure. However, Ruby was relentless and Weiss, upon seeing her partner this way, was inclined not to intervene. Her reason for this passivity was a sort of cynical contentedness at seeing the young girl directing her annoyance at someone else for a change. Because Ruby was a sizable distance away and was bothering someone other than her partner, Weiss found her actions to be nonissues and her positivity to be tolerable.

The gilded man would keep his composure for at least a few minutes before his gaze grudgingly fell upon the girl. When Ruby, arms flailing in front of his face, saw the glare, she did not relent but instead grinned. She then proceeded to redouble her efforts, causing Weiss to question where this sort of teasing had come from. This was entirely out of character for her otherwise kind, supporting partner. Ruby was testing this man's patience, and was proving unfortunately capable in this regard, judging by the fact that one of his hands slowly balled into a fist.

It was at this point that the heiress decided her partner's antics had run their course. The man had been upset and was liable to take some manner of offended action, and because of this, Weiss stepped through the obfuscating crowd and approached. She caught Ruby's attention with her calm statement of, "That's enough." She received a surprised look from the man and a pleading frown from her partner who apparently wanted to continue. Weiss shook her head. "We should keep moving. I see no point in stopping for such a fleeting attraction—if one could call this that."

With only his eyes, the man was able to convey an expression of indignation, but neither girl paid him any mind. Ruby complained, "But Weiss! Yang does this all the time! It's fun! You should try it."

She received an emphatic "No" in response. "I do not care what your sister does. She is not here at the moment and we are very fortunate for this fact. Because of this, it would be wise of you to stop trying to impress her. Leave this man be. He has wronged you in no way and does not deserve your annoyance, especially with people around us watching." With her thumb, she pointed to those in the crowd who, after being designated, guiltily carried on down the promenade.

The grin on the young girl's face dissipated. "I-I'm sorry, Weiss," she stuttered. "I didn't know this meant that much to you."

"It doesn't," Weiss coldly assured. "You are simply wasting our time by ruining this man's day when we could be doing something more productive."

In most cases regarding Weiss' reprimands to her partner and leader, the heiress admittedly did not have a set goal in mind. Her intent was always to discourage Ruby, but she could never decide if her end should be silencing the young girl, proving her wrong, compelling her to act properly, or even getting Ruby to leave her alone. Unfortunately, the present reaction to her reprimanding was haunting to say the very least. Weiss' partner, who seemed at one point only to be a childish ball of unending excitement and enthusiasm, looked to the heiress as though she had realized severity in her own actions. It was a shocked, sorrowful expression that was entirely unpredicted.

"I'm sorry, Weiss," she repeated. "I didn't mean to do anything wrong, I promise. That's just what Yang and me used to do, trying to get these guys to move. But if you don't like it, I'll stop! Just please don't get mad."

Though the thought was admittedly melodramatic, Weiss could envision her partner crying after her last plea given her current mood. Yet this did not happen and, as such, it seemed to have had an even greater effect on Weiss. This was not a simple flight from negative emotions that were so characteristic to the heiress, but instead Ruby attempting to break an inescapable cycle of her growing positivity that always seemed to end in outrage from her cold partner. At least, this is what Weiss believed was occurring. "Ruby…" For the first time in a long time, Weiss did not know how to go about a conversation, being that this situation required tactful consolations she had almost no experience with. However, she would try for her promise's sake. "I'm…not mad at you. It's just that I'd like to keep moving. Frankly, this does not interest me and I meant no offense despite causing it." She realized that she was likely coming across as defensive and attempting to prove herself infallible due to her inability to properly apologize. She sighed. "I'm not upset with you. This man seemed uncomfortable and I was as well."

Surely an admission of fault counted as an apology of some sort. Whether or not Ruby interpreted this as such could unfortunately not be determined. The young girl whispered dejectedly more so to herself than Weiss, "Okay." Despite this one word having been intended for Ruby alone, Weiss heard it and was taken aback by its resigning tone.

That was a whisper of defeat—of a person who knows that what she desires is foolishly unattainable and therefore worthless. The young leader's apparent belief that her partner was disappointed had not been Weiss' intent but was now an undeniable byproduct of the detached heiress' lackluster personality. Weiss' perennial frown deepened as she watched the girl in red move from the living statue and trudge down the thoroughfare. It took no less than a second for her to follow after and, in effect, miss the thankful salute the man gave.

"Ruby!" she called. "Ruby, slow down!"

Standing as the lone rock that broke the waves of passing humanity, Ruby sighed amongst uninterested crowd members as her shoulders slumped. Her hands balled into fists for the briefest moment before relaxing and resigning, but Weiss had seen this emotion. Within the silver eyes that could harbor no animosity towards the girl in white welled a look of trepidation. It took but a second for Weiss to realize what this look was communicating, and once she did, a pang of concern struck the heart that held itself to indifference and frigidity. Ruby's hurt look communicated a single question: "Why?" She was instinctually preparing for a scolding when one was not coming. And in this regard, the heiress knew her aggression had become so commonplace that it unfortunately instilled within her partner a defensive instinct. She almost spoke, but Ruby beat her to this point.

"Weiss, I just want us to have a fun summer break. I get that what I was doing was wrong, but I don't want to be yelled at over something like that. You can tell me to stop, but please don't yell at me. You can do that when I'm doing something that could get you or Yang or Blake hurt, but…" She never finished this thought. "Weiss, I asked you to stay the summer with us so you'd have a good time, and I'm starting to think that I'm just getting in your way. If that's what's going on, I'm sorry. I'm sorry for being a bad friend. I'm really trying, you know? But if I'm not trying hard enough, just tell me, and I'll try harder. I don't like it when you yell at me, Weiss. I don't know why, but when Yang does it, I can recover, but when you do it, I can't. It hurts, Weiss. I'm sorry."

Although Weiss did not see Ruby as a friend (and it should be stated once again that she did not see anyone in this light), they were partners and this meant a certain level of care for one another was required. She could be bothersome at times, but she had not been disorderly or irksome to the same degree she had been in their first semester. Seeing the excitable, credulous girl act in such a self-destructive manner hurt the heiress because she knew consolation required kindness that perhaps only Yang could provide, leaving Weiss with a helpless, sorrowful feeling. Yet Weiss was not one to be subject to helplessness and instead spoke to her partner, having little experience in what she was about to say. "Ruby," she began, "I'm the one who should be sorry, not you."

Though the girl's smile did not return to her, her hesitant gaze moved to Weiss, showing progress. "I never truly thanked you for breakfast and I apologize for that. My snapping at you at both the plaza and in front of that man was completely unwarranted. Perhaps my actions since our introduction have been a tad bitter and I realize what pain that might cause you despite my best intentions." Weiss shook her head, realizing that her speech was once again becoming focused on herself more than the girl before her. "Perhaps I have been…a bad friend to you, not the other way around. You were correct in saying that I should not have scolded you over something so menial, and I now regret it.

"I regret saying anything to upset you in this way and I regret saying anything to imply that you are getting in the way. I can assure you that you have been nothing but helpful today. And though I may not be having fun, I blame this on myself and my inherent…dullness." Weiss sighed and dropped her gaze to the cobbled path below. If she had learned one lesson pertaining to the Schnee name and its ideals in all her years at Glatteis Manor, it had been that sacrifices must often be taken for the betterment of anything and everything. Though humility was not her strongest suit, the expression Ruby had held justified at least some form of an attempt. "I am sorry, Ruby. If I ever gave you the impressions that I was angry at you or that I see you in a negative light, this is not the case whatsoever. I am sorry, and I do not ask for your forgiveness. Any contempt you may have for me would be entirely justified after everything I've done to you and after all the names I've called you."

Weiss could not say that everything she said had been truthful, but, at her core, she regretted her own recklessness and the expression she caused. When she looked back up to see the effects of her speech, she found Ruby standing only a couple feet away, holding a reassuring, if unsteady smirk. "Thanks, but you don't need to be sorry. You're our guest here—you can call the shots if you want to." She had not entirely recovered from whatever emotions afflicted her, but a façade of confidence was clearly being attempted for Weiss' sake. While the heiress did not need any sort of reassurance, she was glad that Ruby was not lost.

The two would simply stand there for a small while, one chastising herself at what she had done to such an innocent, care-free soul and the other hoping for her partner's recovery. Eventually, Ruby would muster a genuinely warm smile that somehow lifted Weiss' mood, if only slightly. "Come on," she said. "Let's go find something else to do—something that _doesn't_ include statue people or me getting yelled at."

The inclusion of the girl's latter few words came with no sense of disdain but instead mirth. Ruby waited only a moment for Weiss' acceptance before walking off into the crowd. The girl in white would simply linger for a second, watching her partner whose recovery seemed both inhumanly quick and uncomfortably sincere. It is to say that Ruby's sincerity was uncomfortable only because Weiss was not accustomed to anything as positive as her disposition. However, she would shake these thoughts off and follow after the girl, catching up fairly quickly due to Ruby's purposefully slowed pace.

They would walk for a few minutes in silence, one being moderately happy again and the other being consumed by guilt at what had been said. Guilt was a strange sentiment to the heiress. Her father had learned as a child and passed on to his own that remorse, under any circumstance, was undesirable. Of course, Weiss had come to know regret over the course of her life, but guilt was still a relatively new sensation to her and one that she wished to do away with immediately. Perhaps her drive to rectify her family's standing came from something akin to guilt, but this present emotion brought responsibilities to the forefront that she had previously been unaware of. She knew that she was responsible for Ruby's safety, but the young leader's reaction made Weiss feel somehow obligated to care for the girl's happiness as well. It was a baseless notion and she knew this, but seeing the immediate effects of her outrage to such a harsh degree was illuminating.

She glanced over at Ruby. While the emotions of the previous conversations were still haunting the heiress, her partner appeared almost entirely unfazed. She was not as excited as she had been nor was she expressly happy about anything, but she seemed content, judging by the slight smile she held. Furthermore, her sudden question of "How's the headache?" was telling of her thoughts on the prior emotions.

Weiss wanted to reply with some remark about how her headache had not changed or even how it worsened, but when she felt for the pain, she could not find it. "Improving," she said simply, unaware of the broadened smile this caused on her partner's features.

"That's great!" Ruby cheered. "Are you sure we don't need to stop somewhere for some water, though? You know, just in case?"

It was surprising. The headache was gone. No trace of reactive malice or impatient anger could be found in the heiress' mind, and it was refreshing. She attributed this recovery solely to her partner who had distracted her both in the morning and in these last few hours. This latter timeframe even further surprised Weiss because her time alone with the lively girl had felt like mere minutes. "Thank you, but that would be unnecessary. I believe it has passed for the time being." She paused a beat to consider her past expressions of gratefulness and penitence before adding, "Thank you, Ruby."

"No problem! I'm glad to help! I mean, that's what partners are for, right?" She grinned brightly, showing the seemingly innocent positivity that so often defined her. To this, Weiss could not help but smile slightly back. Ruby's ability to quickly recover and move care away from herself and to another was simply astonishing. "That," Ruby began again, "and what kind of friend would I be if I didn't take care of you? Team RWBY's gotta stick together and I'm not gonna let a headache break us apart."

Her words were endearing and allowed Weiss some comfort in her apology's effectiveness. However, this did not warrant any sort of verbal response, but the heiress would allow Ruby a small, appreciative smile before her expression evened and fell to her usual calm. Once more the two would walk in silence, but in this particular case, the silence was not pressing or somber, but something akin to comfortable—though, Weiss could not bring herself to use the word. To some extent, today had altered her opinion on the young girl. Ruby was still a frequent nuisance and made the heiress uneasy in many a combat scenario, but she was kind and supportive and genuinely cared. Perhaps she had always been this way and Weiss had only now realized this quality, but…

There was no defense for Weiss' obliviousness during a time when she claimed her partner ignorant. It was disappointing, this inattentiveness. Not only was it disappointing, it was antithetical to her family's ideals of efficiency and effectiveness. To most, Weiss' lack of understanding of her partner's honesty may seem impossible, yet it is entirely probable and fact in this instance due to her childhood and early adulthood on Kaiser Island and in the confines of Glatteis Manor wherein riddles outnumbered straight answers, façades were the norm, and all were to be treated as either traitors or conspirators against the name of Schnee. To her, Ruby's kindness and positivity had always been suspect, but now she could see that it was genuine.

Ruby truly saw her as a friend—one that the young girl would wake up early for and attend to and even spend time with despite the heiress' caustic personality that both were very much aware of. Meanwhile, Weiss seldom regarded her as anything but a partner—and, at times, even less. There was a definite imbalance in the affections shared between them, but perhaps this could be rectified. However, this was a frightening thought to the heiress, and not in the way that a person faces their greatest fear, but in the way a person stares into the unknown of their planless future. She would consider a friendship, but a decision of this magnitude took time, she thought. Although Blake would have been a more reasonable choice for a friend, Ruby was kind and Weiss felt indebted to her in some strange way.

Thankfully, these thoughts and Weiss' decision were eventually distracted by Ruby's diverted attention. "Hey, Weiss? You see that?" She pointed to a group of people traveling the avenue, leaving Weiss confused by her intent, but soon came a gap in the crowd that allowed the heiress to see what was being referenced. Off to the side of the promenade stood a stand—specifically, a singular table beneath a canopy tent—where three people sat, one of whom appearing as though he was sketching something. "You wanna get our picture taken?"

The hopeful smile that accompanied this made the question seem more like an innocuous command, but Weiss did not mind. If humoring the girl meant amending the follies of their previous conversation and properly thanking her for removing the headache, then Weiss would gladly accept. She did not smile, but she did nod and caused Ruby's grin to widen brightly. "Come on!" the young cheered as she all but skipped to the artist's stand. Weiss followed after, fighting back a smirk of both happiness and pride at being so uncharacteristically warm and accepting. (Of course, "warm" is not an appropriate descriptor for her usual interactions, but we should allow Weiss this specific feeling of self-satisfaction, if only so her emotions might truly warm in time.)

As they neared the stand and the man sitting behind its table, the two patrons before him stood and left, staring inquisitively at a sheet of paper they were holding together. Judging by the man and woman's closeness to each other, Weiss could only assume that they were a couple—one that was allowed and proper, she might add, due to both of their civilian statuses. Weiss kept her gaze on the two that walked away while she and Ruby moved to the artist.

He was a cheery old man, whitened in age rather than greyed, who smiled at the partners as they approached. "Well, hello there!" came his affable greeting. The two girls stepped out of the sun and into the cool shade of his stand. "I see you two young ladies have taken interest in the arts. Welcome to my humble office." The man chuckled softly as he regarded the many supplies that surrounded him—pens, pencils, colored pencils, and numerous stacks of blank paper.

Ruby surprisingly seemed readily conversational to this particularly warm attitude despite having never met the man before. "Hi! We were wondering if you could take our picture, if that'd be all right."

He chuckled again. "Well, I could probably do that. Though, I'm not too keen on cameras these days, but I could draw you a picture, if you'd like."

This time, Ruby laughed, yet this came nervously and coupled with her scratching the back of her head. "Yeah, sorry. That's kinda what I meant."

"Don't you worry about it. It'd be my pleasure." He pointed to the seats before him. "Here, take a seat. It shouldn't take too long."

Ruby smiled at Weiss, silently attempting to goad her into taking a seat when the decision had already been made to do so. Though the gesture had been unnecessary, Weiss managed to smile back somewhat and moved with her partner to take a seat. She had had portraits painted of her before—mostly in paintings of her family, but there were one or two hanging in Glatteis Manor that focused on her alone. It was doubtful that this man's talent was comparable to the painters her father paid, but she figured that this opportunity was seen by the younger girl as one not to be squandered. To that end, accepting this offer for a portrait was seen as a way of balancing the care that Ruby had placed on the heiress.

The partners sat beside each other and the man flashed them a quick smile before he retrieved a sheet of paper. As he started to work, he absent-mindedly hummed an unidentifiable tune. After about a minute of outlining sketches and relative silence, the man would cease his humming and eventually drawl, "So, Ms. Schnee…" This came as an unexpected introduction to the heiress but was made more so jarring because of the lack of hostility in his tone. "How are you liking Vale? Warmer than Atlas, I'd expect."

Before Weiss could answer, Ruby asked, "Wait. How did you know who she was?"

"I didn't," he shrugged. "But there aren't many people in the world who wear that snowflake, have naturally white hair, and scowl at everything they come in contact with, much less all at the same time. Although, I have to admit I had my doubts about if it was you or not. I've never heard of a Schnee who's as comfortable with being outside as you seem to be."

"And you seem unintimidated by my presence." This was a rather uncommon experience for Weiss. Not only was a complete stranger speaking to her out of turn, he did not seem fazed by the power her father held and instead chucked. He was like Ruby in this way.

"Why should I be?" he asked. "Your father can't exactly put me out of a job. And even if he managed to, I'm already retired." He stopped his sketching and smiled at the heiress. "I do this because this is what I love, and even if you tell him to shut my office down, I'll still keep doing this. I'm too old to care about names and places and how I should react to them. I could argue politics with you all day, but then again, you two are still kids and probably don't want to hear about that stuff. Not to mention you probably know more than me on the matters." He gave a short laugh and returned to his drawing. "No, I'm not intimidated by you. You two seem like nice girls, even if one of you can't bring yourself to smile."

Ruby giggled at his teasing remark while Weiss chose not to react. Instead, she spoke. "To answer your question, I am finding the weather here pleasant. I would imagine it will get hotter," she was interrupted by a grunt of confirmation, "but I prefer this over the winter climate of Atlas."

"Well, I hope your thoughts stay that way because it's looking to be pretty rough. I'd hate for the city to rub you the wrong way just because of the heat. Hopefully, you'll get used to it in time. Certainly took me a while."

Weiss let this last comment fade into silence, knowing that it was intentionally open-ended enough for her to question his past experiences. Honestly, she did not care about his life's story, though it is not to say she thought negatively of the man. She wanted only for the picture of herself and Ruby to be complete so they could be on their way. The man seemed compliant enough to sit in silence as he continued his drawing, occasionally glancing up at the girls for reference. However, though he was seemingly at ease with this quiet, Ruby was not. "Hey, Weiss?" she asked. "What's it like there—you know, in Atlas?"

The heiress sighed. Despite calling the kingdom home for all her life, she was not the person to ask about any location other than Kaiser Island. "Cold," she replied wearily. "Cold in more than one definition of the word."

"Yeah, well, that's obvious! But I meant what's it like living there? Do you guys have favorite pizza places or parks you like to go to? Oh, what about sports or anything like that? Even _you_ have to do something for fun!"

Ruby was truly interested in the northern culture, but she expected a people as vibrant and warm as those in Vale. Unfortunately, this was not the case. "Atlas has snow, clouds, and factories. Even if there were recreational activities, I would not be the authority on them."

"Oh. Okay." To her credit, Ruby did not press the matter any further, showing awareness of Weiss' forlorn tone. As much grief as Weiss gave her, Ruby was not an imbecile and actually grew to people and learned their emotional cues fairly well. For this, the heiress was thankful.

The three would remain quiet for the rest of the man's sketch. While Ruby began to show signs of discomfort from sitting still for the few minutes necessary, Weiss tuned out the world around her, finding an inner silence that was entirely calming. She could still hear the man's pen against the paper but only when this noise ceased did her eyes reopen. The sight before her was the man smiling brightly at them as he pulled the paper from the desk. "Here," he said, handing the paper to Weiss, "take a look."

Immediately, the heiress sighed. Ruby must have thought that this was an actual portrait stand, but even Weiss could not reprimand the young girl because she had made a similar mistake in trusting her partner. The believed portrait had instead been a caricature, judging by the impossibly thin neck and inhumanly deep frown Weiss had been given and the comically large eyes and goofy smile Ruby had in the picture. It is not to say to say that Weiss disliked the image, she simply had not expected a caricature—although, in hindsight, it was fairly obvious. This caricature was not necessarily bad (for the time put into it, it seemed incredibly well-drawn), yet it was not of her taste. But perhaps this distaste spawned from her observation of one glaring error.

However, her speech would have to wait because Ruby saw the need to speak out first. "Wait, that's not right. Weiss doesn't look like that!" The heiress' thoughts did not jump to scolding her partner for a lack of understanding, but instead to analysis of what Ruby had said. She had not defended her own appearance but her partner's, and this uncommon defense coupled with the genuine concern that laced her tone caused Weiss to unwittingly blush. "If you make me look like that, you have to make Weiss look better. She's the pretty one out of the two of us! She shouldn't be drawn that way—"

Weiss cut her off. "Ruby," she managed, "it's a caricature. It is intended to look that way." By this point, her cold façade had nearly shattered, revealing an embarrassed, yet slightly in-control heiress who did not know what to do with this sort of praise.

Ruby's eyes widened in sudden understanding as the man chuckled. "Don't worry about it," he said. "Ms. Schnee, if you would like me to change it, I will. It'd be no problem."

She took a few moments to compose herself and store the words Ruby had said deep in the far corners of her memory. "It's fine," she eventually assured. "I don't care about my depiction except for one small detail. You failed to include my scar."

His brows furrowed in confusion. "I apologize. I thought it would offend you if I drew it."

Weiss shook her head. "I would be more offended if you did not. I must wear this every day of my life, and neither discomfort nor offense will lead to its removal. If you could, please add my scar and we shall be on our way."

He nodded solemnly before taking the drawing back. His revisions took no more than a minute before he handed it back to Weiss. In turn, the heiress handed the drawing to Ruby, knowing that she would value it more. Fortunately, when Ruby was able to hold the image and study it in its completed state, she grinned widely and excitedly, easing the tensions between the three and allowing the man to smile again. Ruby could not have heard his warm farewell, leading Weiss to pay him and politely wave good-bye.

Ruby simply stood in place, staring giddily at the picture before her. As the heiress approached her side, the young girl said, "Thanks, Weiss. As soon as I get the chance, I'm getting this framed!" At this, she folded the paper into a neat square and tucked it into one of her belt's pockets. Weiss felt the need to scold her for tarnishing the man's work, but could not bring herself to do so. Ruby's defense of her appearance in the drawing still begged her attention.

There is a difference between simple kindness and whatever Ruby's speech could be described as. In truth, Weiss initially thought her partner's defense to be simple kindness, but now she knew it was not. There was an underlying tone of care that simply did not exist between one partner and another. Perhaps this spawned from Ruby's "friendship" with the heiress, but Weiss could not be sure. Her speech had caused a strange sensation—not one that was necessarily undesirable, but one that was strange nonetheless. Whatever had happened within Weiss was doubtlessly positive, but to what extent, she could not tell. At one point in her contemplations, she began to rationalize the positive effects of reciprocating Ruby's friendly demeanor, but this went as quickly as it came. Weiss knew she could never be as kind as Ruby was. However, no matter how much she tried to think of something else, Ruby's words and her own rationalizations always came back to her. Perhaps, she thought hesitantly, it would be beneficial to at least consider a friendship with the young girl. Consideration was harmless enough. And they would not be responsible for the city's defense for the next few months.

Unfortunately, Schnees were supposed to be cold, indifferent, distant—at least, this is what her father had said. Perhaps he had forgotten the story of Wilhelm and Atlas and their partnership in the First Age. Thoughts of her father and anything pertaining to him quickly vanished; he was not of importance at this moment, but instead Ruby.

Perhaps a mutual friendship could work between them. Though, this decision would not be made now—it required some time to mull over and a single day would not be adequate. Furthermore, this day was not about making this sort of decision nor was it about Weiss in any regard. Today was about Ruby and repaying her kindness. Weiss believed that some payment had already been made, but the day was not yet complete, leaving room for more possibilities wherein her partner's kindness could aptly be returned.

* * *

><p>If one were to compare the kingdom of Atlas to the kingdom of Vale, this hypothetical person would be met almost immediately with innumerable disparities which separate the industry-focused continent and the nation which centers itself around creativity and expressionism. While Weiss did associate herself more comfortably with the harsher culture of her home, the people of Vale had been kind to her, and those who had not were nowhere near as hostile as Atlas' opponents to the Schnee name. Yet regardless of her preference to focused ideals, there was one aspect of Vale that the frigid heiress favored over her home. When the sun set in the northern kingdom, the temperature would fall and the sky would consistently darken, yet in Vale, it seemed only to warm rather refreshingly for the girl who had been raised in the cold. But perhaps this favor came with her positive mood.<p>

A relaxing few hours had passed since the partnership's patronage of the caricature stand and the sun had begun its descent below the tops of the surrounding buildings, tingeing the blue sky yellow. In this time, Weiss had not raised her voice or even considered reprimanding her partner. In fact, Ruby's positivity had become enjoyable in a way—infectious, even. Weiss' expression had gradually grown happier over the course of the day, and now, under the waning hours of this retrospectively delightful day, she smiled unabashedly. The expression was still strange to her, being that it contradicted her personality, but she had enjoyed herself today. Ever since Ruby's defense at the caricature stand, Weiss had felt at ease with returning the affection, if only in her own way. She did not feel pressured any longer to repay Ruby's kindness, but found herself acting more tolerant towards the young girl nevertheless, leading to superfluous discussions, light-hearted observations, and even an instance of genuine laughter.

Now the two had returned to the city square so to meet with their teammates at the designated rendezvous time. However, Ruby and Weiss had arrived upon this location half an hour early, but they did not mind. Instead of idly waiting for time to pass, the two of red and white chose to brave the mob and browse the stands surrounding this congested area. Despite the hour proving difficult due to increased consumer population, traversal through the masses was fairly successful. Ruby stood nearby, seemingly content with looking through whichever stands Weiss chose. At the moment, they stood before a booth that sold hand-knitted scarves.

For the materials used, they were beautiful in their craftsmanship, Weiss thought as she appraised a particularly entrancing azure piece. It was entirely unnecessary in this summer climate and she had better ones of finer materials in her collection, but a fleeting thought crossed her mind as she held the cloth. Everyone else on her team wore some form of covering—Blake and Yang with scarves of their own and Ruby with her cloak that acted much the same. The reason why this thought had been fleeting was because of Weiss' will for it to be so. She was not one to fit in with a crowd. If anything, the crowd would conform to her instead, being that she was heiress to Remnant's most influential company. The idea of purchasing this scarf of undesirable material and enchanting construction came from the desire to be a better teammate and the irrational thought that imitation would be a possible way of achieving this goal. However, she had been proving her worth all day, and judging by Ruby's constant smile, she had been doing this well, so the purchase of such an item would be unnecessary.

She set the scarf in its original location, flashed a smile at the stand's owner, and turned to Ruby. "I've seen everything I need to here." Ruby turned as well, disengaging from nothing of particular interest to her. "Are you ready to head to the next one?"

Chipper as ever, Ruby chirped, "Yup!" At this, the two left the stand in search of another. The distance between their origin and eventual destination was broadened by the necessity for these lines of booths to break for the branching avenues around this plaza. Fortunately, the crowd seemed malleable enough and shifted to Weiss' undeterred stride. This superfluous nature of those before her was surprising and fortunate because in most instances, such maneuverability would only be possible with a scowl and an imperious attitude. However, she was smiling—only slightly, but she was definitely smiling—and felt no need to pressure the world immediately around her into change.

The next booth the partnership would reach was that of an antique dealer. Though the items on display were obvious replicas for the most part, there were a few originals in the collection and these were what drew Weiss in. Actually, it is to say that an old Atlesian dagger caught her eye, but it was the assortment around it that kept her attention. Most of what was on display consisted of recreations of Vale pottery and Mistralian books, but there were a few facsimiles of artifacts dating back to before the Second Fall of Vacuo. Even replicas of these latter objects were rare—whoever made them must have done their research.

"Wow," Ruby breathed. "You know, I'm not usually the history type, but these are actually pretty cool! Here," she picked up a pair of earrings and turned to Weiss, "let me see how they'd look on you."

Weiss simply smiled, choosing not to turn her head. "Ruby, you are aware those are fake, right?"

The young girl shrugged. "Probably, but I still think they look nice. Come on! Let me see how they'd look!" Rather than scolding her partner as would have been common practice, the heiress allowed Ruby to move closer. The earrings were held over Weiss' own before Ruby hummed. "I mean, they look nice, but I don't know. I think I like how you normally look better."

These sorts of remarks had been scattered throughout their conversations all day. However, all of them came from Ruby and caused the same reaction from Weiss on every occasion. These innocent, absent-minded compliments had always elicited an unwitting blush. Weiss could not bring herself to be outwardly grateful (she still had to retain some connection to her regular personality, after all), but she would not rebuke them. Kindness does not beget reprimand, but instead kindness, if only in idealistic circumstances. Unfortunately, Weiss was aware that she was not the amicable type and was also unsure of what to do with praise that was neither disingenuous nor linked to her surname. Because of this, she merely smiled at the compliment before turning her attention back to the selection.

The Atlesian dagger that had initially drawn Weiss' attention beckoned her again. She had seen a knife similar to this in Glatteis Manor, but was unsure of its association with the one in her family's collection. Unfortunately, the booth's owner was visibly nervous when Weiss reached out for the weapon, forcing her to appraise from a distance. Though it lacked her family's crest, the carvings on the blade and the visible wear of the pommel's steel dated it back to an age before Dust-based projectiles and modern forging techniques. It was apparently not a replica, but at the same time, it had many similarities to the blades of Hilda from the Third Age.

She thought about purchasing the dagger, if only to keep it as a reminder for why she had become a huntress. Regardless of who its original owner had been, the weapon was evocative of familial pride that simply could not exist for her father. She believed herself to be a warrior like her foremother, Hilda, but her business-focused approach to life's problems and pragmatic mindset often obscured her path. This blade and its hypothetical purchase would not be intended to show honor to her family or inexplicably force her to adhere to her own idealistic path, but would act simply as a reminder of what her family had been. There were a few mementos she owned already, and they had proven hauntingly evocative in most instances.

"What are you looking at?" Ruby turned away from the antiques in front of her and followed Weiss' gaze. Upon seeing the dagger, she gasped. "I didn't know they'd have a Second Age knife! I've never seen one up close before!" She ignored the owner's scowl and hefted the weapon, looking it over excitedly yet cautiously. "And it's from Atlas, right? That's why you were looking at it?" Her smile turned to Weiss for a brief second before returning to the knife. "It's still sharp, but I don't think it's seen a stone in its life. You guys always did make great steel."

True to her word, the young leader had an affinity for weaponry, but Weiss had not expected her partner's knowledge to surpass her own, even if her education on weaponry began only a few years ago. Upon further review, Weiss realized that Ruby's appraisal had been more accurate in that she had been correct about the blade dating back to the Second Age rather than the Third. Weiss nodded in response. "My father keeps a collection of these sorts of weapons. I was interested because this looks similar to a few showcased at home."

Upon hearing the word "collection," Ruby perked up. "Wait. Your dad has a collection of these things?" As she spoke, her pitch rose, indicating mounting enthusiasm and an inevitable request. "You have to show me them sometime, tell me about them, something! Weiss you can't leave me hanging like this, I've gotta know!"

Weiss gave an appeasing smile, knowing that bringing Ruby anywhere near Kaiser Island could only detriment the young girl—and not only her, but everyone on Team RWBY as well. "Perhaps later. This summer is not a good time." Despite this denial, Ruby continued to smile at the knife in her hand. "You truly have a fascination with weapons, don't you? Why is that?"

Ruby turned the instrument on its side, assumingly to examine the carvings on its blade. "I don't know. I just like 'em. They certainly help with slaying Grimm, though." Weiss did not feel the need to comment, being that she was already smiling and Ruby was continuing down her train of thought.

"Weapons tell a lot about a person—their personality, how they move, whether they're good or bad; that sort of stuff. I'm not the best with people, and you probably know that better than anybody, but I don't have to talk with weapons. I just need to look at them to know what's going on. And the best part is that even if people die, their weapons don't—well, if they're built well enough they won't. That's kinda what I'm hoping will happen with Crescent Rose. I think I've built her pretty well, so after I die, she'll hopefully be picked up by somebody and put in a collection like the one your dad has. Maybe someone will talk about me one day." She smiled warmly at the dagger before placing it back in its original spot. "I don't know. I guess I just get weapons. You don't have to show me your dad's collection—though I _really, really_ wanna see it someday. I'm just thinking out loud. Sorry if I was annoying you."

"Don't worry. You weren't," Weiss assured. She didn't say anything more, simply letting the conversation fade into silence as they looked over the other antiques before them.

Perhaps a friendship could be possible between the heiress and the young girl. If the previous calmness in conversation was any metric to go by, then Weiss believed that fonder sentiments could develop between herself and her partner. It was naïve to think that friendship would detriment the team aspect of being a huntress, but, in her defense, friendship had been an unknown variable up until this point in her life. Her views against more romantic sentiments between hunters had carried over into her views on friendship, and in hindsight, this was found to be inappropriate. The decision would not be made now nor would it likely be made in the coming few days, but the sentiments were undoubtedly growing.

Ruby had proven herself tolerable. She was still easily excited and tended to err because of this excitability, but she had been calm for Weiss' sake and this was greatly appreciated. In fact, this was so greatly appreciated that a smile had been brought to Weiss' countenance and had remained there for these comfortable few hours. She was undeniably a child, but she had shown maturity in keeping her enthusiasm in relative control. For this, Weiss could not find any fault in her partner's character and felt at ease with her up until the moment Ruby would do something entirely uncomfortable and unexpected to the heiress.

Weiss stepped away from the antiques and voiced her will to move to the next stand. Ruby's unfortunate response to this was all of the following: she cheered "All right! Let's go!", smiled at her partner, and grabbed the hand of the frigid, impersonal, instinctually defensive heiress to the Schnee Dust Company throne.

Most would expect some immediate, shrieking reaction of disgusted outrage, but the placement of Ruby's hand had been so completely unprecedented—so utterly whimsical that its probability was too small to even take into account—that it took Weiss an agonizing minute to come to terms with what was happening. In that time, Ruby's pull was proven ineffectual, Weiss' gaze grew angrier, and yet never once did this grip falter. That is, Weiss had scared her partner into immobility through her glare at the grip. In that tense minute, Ruby's confidence wavered and a blush grew on Weiss' part—not out of embarrassment or concealed emotion as most would expect, but out of sheer outrage and fury. And at her fury's crescendo, Weiss Schnee would unleash the full force of her verbal wrath.

She suddenly wrenched her hand from Ruby's grasp and snarled, "Unhand me, you worthless child! Do you have _any_ idea of who I am—of what you've done?" The answer was a definite "no" and Ruby's frightened eyes conveyed this. "Of course not! You always run headlong into situations without thinking! Are you even capable of that? Thought? Don't bother answering. The response you'd give is obvious. Do you have any idea of what you just did? Do you?"

These words were spat with a malice never before vented by the heiress in all her years of barely contained fury. All notions of returned kindness had been renounced at Ruby's touch. No friendship could be formed, no smiles could be shared, and even their partnership was under question at this reckless show of emotion. All external activity became nonexistent from the heiress' perspective, causing her to miss the shocked and concerned gazes of the surrounding mob. A small circle had formed around the two and contradicted Weiss' desire for privacy which Ruby's hold had disturbed. However, she did not care about any of this. The sanctity of her family's name and history would be upheld if the price was Ruby's discomfort.

"The answer is no. You couldn't bother to give the situation any sort of forethought and now you've gone and ruined everything. Do you have any idea how fast word of mouth spreads—specifically about a Schnee? Of course not! How could you? You are a mindless child who cannot comprehend the subtleties required of public interaction and yet you have the gall to do…to do…_that_!" From her own stumble, Weiss saw weakness, and for this, she roared with a greater fervor, "_Never_ do that again! Lest you wish to lose the appendage, never touch me again!"

Ruby's breaths had become shallow, an expression of confused fear and sorrow crossing her face—an expression which, to Weiss, was almost satisfactory. She stuttered, "W-Weiss…"

"Quiet!" the heiress bellowed, drawing the attention of those oblivious few in the crowd who had previously given the partnership privacy in their midst. "I never allowed you to speak!" As the young girl shuddered, shrunk, and turned her gaze downward, a murmur of complaint emanated from the encircling mob. Weiss' glare swept over them, silencing their concern in an instant, before she returned to Ruby. "Look at what you've done! You've caught the attention of the city's slime and now my reputation is surely to be painted red! You insatiable moron! Is there not any length you will go to ruin my life? First you restrict me from an eminent warrior for a partner and then you swipe the leadership position from my grasp—the leadership position for which I have trained my entire life! Now you have shamed not only my reputation with your imbecilic actions, but my family's.

"Schnees are to never commiserate with those who contradict our endeavors and your existence proves a mar to my immaculate record. You are a flaw, Ruby Rose, a flaw not only to my livelihood, but to your own. You are childish, naïve, and should have never been allowed into Beacon at such an early age." The more pained Ruby's visage became and the more feeble her stance seemed, the more Weiss felt accomplished. However, the heiress' intent was not to hurt, but instead to educate and instill an understanding in her partner that such a show of unfettered emotion in a public place was unacceptable. "Do not think for a second that your prowess and quiddities may leverage my favor, for our interactions have been volatile ever since the explosive moment I met you. I used to call into question our partnership and now I see that stopping was a foolish choice."

Tears began to well at the corners of young Ruby's eyes. "Weiss…?"

"I said be quiet!" the girl in white snapped. "You lost your chance to speak when you touched me. By your hand, those around us have seen a connection that will never exist. By your hand, sensationalist journalists have found a story that could topple an already baseless empire. By your hand, the honor of the Schnee name has been jeopardized. If only you could see the damage that your action could potentially cause, then you would know how excruciating it is to be around your simple personality! With that one hand, you have presumably undermined generations of effort to reach this current status of renown and yet all you can do is cry. You are a child, nothing more. You lack forethought, decorum, and a sense of decency, and yet you managed not only to usurp my position as team leader, but have tarnished a name that has existed since Dust's first excavation. My father will doubtlessly know of what you have done and we will _both_ suffer punishments levied only upon the worst of traitors to the Atlesian throne."

Weiss had intended to continue, but proved unable. It was not the self-concerned fear that had managed to worm its way into her furious tirade nor had it been Ruby's shock and panic that might shake anyone's resolve. Instead, it was a gasp from the surrounding crowd and a wave of intolerable heat that blasted quickly across the wary circle. In that moment of realization, it was apparent that Yang had arrived and was far angrier than Weiss could have ever been. Perhaps it was the heiress' knowledge that combatting a livid Yang was nigh impossible or perhaps it was the pull of some sort of a conscience that Weiss now doubted the existence of that dragged her from an emboldened state into one more remorseful and repentant. In that moment of realization, Weiss knew that she had done something horribly wrong to Ruby even after the young girl spoke out against such unnecessary harshness. Just as quickly as her ire came, it vanished, and in its stead came self-loathing hatred and a sickening awareness of familiarity.

From a frightened gap in the crowd marched the sister, eyes ablaze and locked on the heiress'. In Weiss' mind, whatever spiteful sentiments the blonde held were justified to some extent. Ruby's thoughtless action had been reprehensible and improper, but it was hardly appropriate to meet her with such destructive reprimand.

Under no circumstances would Weiss allow herself to become her father and another aberration in the Schnee lineage. As Yang stomped closer, Weiss knew that what she had done demanded penalty, and though she was hesitant and admittedly afraid of her reprimand's fallout on the parts of both Ruby and the protective sister, she would willingly face whatever the blonde deemed fit for punishment. Forfeit would be the honorable course of action, she believed. Forfeit, and subsequently apology, would be Weiss' choice in this instance, and she would await whatever justified action Yang could conceive.

However, to Weiss' surprise, she was met not with the barreled end of a gauntlet, but its hand and a searing grip on her bicep. Yang did not stop once she reached the heiress and pushed forward, forcing Weiss to move while placing a reassuring arm over Ruby's shaking shoulders. On one side of the blonde, warm affection was running its course, soothing the pained expression of young, innocent Ruby, and on her other side, a burning sensation destroyed whatever hostile sentiments remained in the frigid girl through fear and imbued contrition. Weiss had only a moment to realize that Blake was following them from a distance before Yang squeezed her arm again and forced her attention forward as they were led out of the city square.

In that moment when Weiss had seen the one person on her team she felt most similar to, she had seen a look of disbelief and abhorrence in Blake's perennially observational eyes. If anyone was to have an objective view on what had happened, it would have been the girl in black, and because the objective judgment had sided against Weiss, the heiress knew for a fact that she was in the wrong. This point was only added to when Yang leaned close to her ear and hissed, "What did you do to my sister?" Weiss guiltily closed her eyes. "You made her cry. You made Ruby cry. I had no idea you could sink this low, Schnee."

She had become her father—a twisted individual whose focus rested upon herself and no one else. The crushing grip on her arm thankfully hurt and it assured the heiress that she was wrong for once in her life. However, all compunctious sentiments and all penitent desires were cast aside for a singular, regretful pang in the pit of Weiss' black heart when Ruby whimpered from the other side of her sister, "I'm sorry, Weiss. Please forgive me."

Ruby was Weiss' only friend in this world and the heiress could no longer deny this fact. The girl had been kind and caring and vigilant in regard to whatever it took to make her partner happy. She had tailored her temperament to better accommodate Weiss' critical demands and had managed to bring a smile to a girl who believed she could not. Regardless, the heiress had tossed her aside during this past year and, as of scant minutes ago, she had forsaken this bond which Schnees historic have valued above all else.

Since the First Age of old King Atlas, Schnees have valued their supportive bonds with family and friends alike to the point of militant defense. The bond between that fabled king and his Lord Protector Wilhelm was what allowed for the family's prosperity. Schnees lived for efficiency and effectiveness, but could never survive without genial support, else wars and infighting torch the homestead. Ruby was a dear friend who deserved far better treatment than which she was given, and Weiss knew this now. Only sorrowful sentiments existed within the frigid heiress, replacing all forms of self-defense she could ever rationalize. There was no debt she had to pay to the young girl; she had only to be a better friend and treat Ruby with the respect that she deserved. Ruby was her friend and Weiss would freely admit this in the days to come.

As the sun set upon the kingdom of Vale, so too did the temperature. Perhaps it was only remorse, but a shiver ran up Weiss' spine despite the burning grip on her arm as she was forced out of the crowd and onto a branching avenue from this plaza. Ruby deserved better and Weiss tasked herself with reciprocating her partner's kindness to an appropriate degree. If Otto Schnee could not build amicable relationships on trust instead of influence, then she would in his stead. If Ruby was unhappy now, then the people of Atlas would be equally as disgruntled under Weiss' eventual leadership. There had been one too many relationships lost in the heiress' life, and she would not allow her only friend to suffer the same fate. Ruby deserved a better friend, and if this meant forgoing years of conditioning and etiquette, then Weiss would readily take this role, if only for her partner's sake.

* * *

><p>And thus concludes chapter one. If the lack of romantic progression between Ruby and Weiss in this specific chapter was in any way frustrating, I apologize and ask for your patience. While their relationship may not flourish as quickly or brightly as Blake and Yang's in <em>Valence<em>, it will undoubtedly flourish. The seeds of progression have been sown and will grow in time. To that end, if you have read _Valence_, then you have an idea of when their relationship will truly begin. It must be understood that the combination of Weiss' cold, reluctant personality and Ruby's friendly, positive demeanor is inherently volatile and is to be handled tactfully from Weiss' perspective. On her part, certain aspects of her partner's personality must become accepted and other rationalizations are to be made before Ruby can be seen as anything more than a combat partner.

Admittedly, most of these rationalizations and acceptances will not be shown in the coming four chapters. They will be referenced and written about, but because of the decided pacing of this story, express narrative about said justifications would slow the novel down. Each chapter of _Edelweiss_ is intended to detail the pivotal points in Ruby and Weiss' relationship during their first summer break from Beacon. Rather than focusing on the relatively insignificant actions that cause attraction within either girl's mind, each subsequent chapter of _Edelweiss_ will jump ahead in the timeline to points where affections have sufficiently grown and where they will turn down different paths. In this chapter's case, Ruby found Weiss' favor and friendship. In the next, this friendship will begin to turn into something else.

Finally, I should apologize for the impending wait for the next chapter of this story. Because this novel is being written in conjunction with _Valence_, a novel of similar chapter lengths, it may take somewhere between a month and two for the second chapter to be posted. Again, I apologize for any inconvenience this may cause, but in order to do this story justice, I need to spend time ensuring that everything is as good as it can get.

Thank you for reading. I hope this chapter was to your liking. Stay safe and stay tuned.


	2. Chapter 2: Hesitance

Welcome back! I apologize if the wait was of any inconvenience, but extra time needed to be spent in order to get everything just right. Then there's this whole thing with me taking longer on chapter twos for whatever reason, but that's not really relevant right now.

What is relevant is the primary criticism of the last chapter in regard to Weiss' speech. From the reviews and messages I've received on the matter, her actions and thoughts are tolerable for the most part, but her bombastic speech patterns and diction choice seem excessively heady. I should assure that I am and was well aware of this characterization and should also promise that there are reasons for this. However, excuses aside, I should also promise that her speech will become more accessible to understand, but not all at once. Her speech patterns and diction choice are points of characterization which are included in her development. There was very slight progress in this regard at the end of the last chapter and even greater progress will be made during this chapter. But again, I promise that Weiss will sound like a normal human being in due time.

Finally, I should warn that during certain parts of this chapter there will be places where narration masses larger than dialogue. Although a former-skewed ratio should be expected with most styles of writing, it should be made precautionarily clear that this chapter can get a bit verbose. However, there is purpose to this (rationalization, internal dilemma, etc.) and allows for development that dialogue alone simply cannot cause for a character like Weiss. But this is just a neighborly heads-up.

To those who have read _Valence_, this chapter takes place during the events of chapters eight and nine.

With that said, I hope you enjoy. Without further delay, here is chapter two of _Edelweiss_.

* * *

><p>Chapter 2: Hesitance<p>

It must have been six, six thirty at the latest. Weiss heaved a quiet sigh as she simply stared into the grey light filtering through the cracks of the room's blinds. She had always been a morning person—at least as far as she could remember. There had never been any late-night study sessions or disgraceful flights into the company of others that could tarnish either her reputation or sleep schedule. She was never the enthusiastic type, either, and seldom arose to seize the day as many would expect from those of similar taste. Rather, her purpose lay in efficiency, in ensuring that ample time be created to fulfil whatever tasks the day demanded and to allow herself a moment to plan these tasks. Yet if efficiency was her entire goal, then she would spring up and seize the day like others were expected. Instead, she gazed listlessly at the bleak light that she had grown fond of over the years. This was the light of a new day still yet coming to terms with its own existence and struggling to break free of the lingering darkness. Were it earlier, a deep blue would greet her. Were it later, a hesitant orange would startle her into mobility. However, this was the light she had expected for the sake of today's plans. It must have been six, six thirty at the latest, and she would rise at six forty-five as necessity dictated.

This gave her time to lie there and think—plan, mostly, but at this early hour, she could afford to think.

It was strange, this house. Foreign would be the better descriptor, but it would not be entirely accurate with present company. They were strange themselves, not as people per se, but as ideas, as friends—that was the word. Sleep had been hard to find, causing this early awakening, but at least Weiss was sleeping. After the past year, the uncertainty of sleeping in the presence of others had faded to an almost inconsequential degree, thus eliminating the primary factor of her unrest, but there was still this foreign environment that kept her up at unruly hours, not to mention the belligerent thoughts of remorse and betterment. Now she was simply uncomfortable with her locale, but she would grow used to this house in time as she had with her dorm at the academy.

She was still coming to terms with the fact that Beacon was but a distant thought now. She had been comfortable with the routine of arising at six forty-five, dressing by six fifty (appearance was important, of course, but so too was not wasting time), arriving at the cafeteria by seven, and being early to class at a respectable seven twenty-five. Yet such a schedule did not exist here—could not exist here with the owners of this house being as impulsive as they were. This left the heiress in an uncertain state.

Certainly there must be some reason to rise, some practical impetus that Weiss could set a goal around and focus her day's efforts toward achieving. She had been fortunate to have had reasons to rise in the past five days of her summer break, and today was no different. Today was the day of her trip to a travelling art exhibit she had wanted to see for most of her life. Rather, today was both her own and her partner's trip to this exhibit.

If Weiss was to rise at six forty-five and be dressed by seven (this excess time was due to their comfortably faraway time of departure), then Ruby would likely be ready to leave by seven thirty. Yet "ready to leave" in this case—and this should be made very clear—does not mean dressed and willing to leave but rather dressed, willing to leave, and sitting inside of the limousine that would take them to their destination. It would be an approximate fifty minute drive to the exhibit (this accounts for the probability of traffic) followed by a minute's walk to its entrance steps and through its open doors, barring, of course, the inclusion of any queue which would undoubtedly impede her schedule, but this was why Weiss chose to leave at an earlier hour. Ideally, she and her partner would be touring the exhibit by eight twenty-five and would eventually leave sometime between twelve thirty and one in the afternoon. Subsequent to their leave, the two would find a late lunch that, if Ruby behaved well enough, the young girl could choose.

Yet this was only the skeletal structure of their day to come. Not included in this rendition of her plan are the conversations that she would prepare for with her driver and whatever staff existed at the exhibit, her walking path therein to see everything she wished to, and the simultaneous attention that she would have to place on Ruby as a means of making up for the mistake in the city square. Though this exactness may seem to most as pedantic and excessive, to Weiss, this meticulousness was calming. It gave her the illusion of power over her own life by way of marginalizing the day-to-day aspects of it and therefore distracting her from her fate in Atlas. Again, to most, this would seem sad, but Weiss was aware of this diminishing effect and used it to her advantage. It had worked well for her in the past by inspiring confidence over matters otherwise frightening and she imagined that this was how her father came to control the nation he swore himself to protect.

Perhaps this imbuing confidence was why she did not readily awake. Admittedly, after the events of their first day in the city, she was scared, not for herself, but for the relationship she held with Ruby.

Weiss was still convinced that friendship was detrimental to a warrior's cause, but she concurrently knew that this was not true. This confusion led to a willingness to allow Ruby to participate in these day-to-day goals such as exploration, grocery shopping, and whatever else the heiress could think of to keep herself mobile while maintaining the same aloof demeanor that had kept the two separate from one another. She would admit Ruby a friend because there was no other word to describe her partner, but the term did not quite fit.

Ruby: the unwitting enigma. A girl of impossible candor. A warrior who was younger and yet arguably more skilled than the heiress—the only person more skilled than Weiss other than Otto Schnee. And she did not carry herself like a warrior, but like a child pretending to be a hero. Yet never once could Weiss disprove her partner's imitation because Ruby's conviction was strong and her ideals were cemented and she had a combat ability that could back up whatever claims she might make. At the very least, the young girl was deserving of respect, but she deserved more than the least from the heiress. She was Weiss' only friend in this world, and as such, Ruby deserved the best. However, what "the best" meant in this particular instance was entirely unfathomable.

Perhaps reciprocating Ruby's kindness would be the ideal way to go about recompense, but the heiress doubted she had the capacity to do so—honestly, she doubted anybody had the capacity to match Ruby's nature. With this being said, the young girl left little room for reciprocation between friends. If Weiss were somehow able to match her partner's kindness, then the two would undoubtedly appear as something more than friends—something that Weiss did not want to think about but something that she could not bring herself to move away from. It would appear as though they were flirting, an action which suited neither of their characters. Still, an equivalent kindness would be required for her partner and Weiss was aware that this returned kindness would walk the seemingly thin line between friendship and flirting. However, if being nice to her partner meant accidentally stepping into a realm uncharacteristic for the both of them, then Weiss would follow through with this plan because Ruby would likely forgive a misstep.

But how to go about this reciprocation? Weiss figured that this was one of the instances in life where improvisation would benefit her situation more than meticulousness which would only make the situation seem forced and disingenuous. She sighed. Of course, reciprocation had been the underlying goal in these past few days and had never sufficiently worked. Today was Weiss including Ruby not only in the goal of the day but in an event that Weiss enjoyed, herself. Though the reference material may not exactly parallel her experience, Weiss understood from the few romance novels she read in her spare time at Glatteis Manor that involving a significant other (or, in her case, a friend) in personal matters was a way to form bonds. Again, Weiss was certain that if this applied knowledge went awry and stepped into the boundaries of the romance it was drawn from, Ruby would forgive her.

But at the same time, it must be taken into account that any sort of positivity (it did not matter if it was in the form of friendship or romance) would undoubtedly be frowned upon by that overbearing presence in the north. Her father was the cause of this hesitation towards positivity but he was also the force that drove her towards Ruby. The young girl was innocent and oblivious and everything her father hated in a person. To Weiss, the young girl teetered between "tolerable" and "comfortable," but no matter what sentiments Ruby spurred within the heiress, she would always be kind and caring. In this way, Weiss mused, Ruby could perhaps be the antithesis to Otto Schnee.

Once more Weiss turned on her side to stare at the grey light of early morning. Thoughts of Ruby and who she was could be postponed until after the situation was rectified. Thoughts of the art exhibit they would travel to and the means of rectification were to take precedence, but nothing as affectionate as thoughts of another person. Such thoughts were wasteful of time with their yearning, hopeful natures. If anything, Weiss expected this situation—that is, this summer break and their subsequent years together—to result in a precipitous friendship prone to breakage at even the slightest confusion. This is not what she wanted.

However, she was not supposed to complain but instead act upon her discontent. Winter complained about nearly everything that did not suit her in just the right way. Their father encouraged this behavior with his distance and simultaneous willingness to use whatever power he had to rid himself of a problem, no matter how insignificant it was. This created an environment of cynicism that would have otherwise seized the most recent end to the Schnee lineage. The only reason why this cynicism had not taken hold entirely, at least in Weiss' case, was her mother who gave perspective. But her characterization would be for a later date, as the lesson she taught was to be emphasized over who she was in this present moment.

For a Schnee, the world was theirs and power came inherently. Without having to utter a word, awe would be inspired at a single glance at the white hair or honored crest. With the mere mention of her name, Weiss could sway opinions with unstated promises of wealth that would never be fulfilled. This was power that could corrupt and did in the cases of Otto and Winter. Though Weiss did utilize her prestige to sway an opinion, she did so sparingly and understood the repercussions that its overuse would bring about. It had been her mother who taught her this, as painfully ironic as the fact was. She had said that with the power Weiss held, she had the ability to change whatever she wanted if she deemed the decision just, but complaint should never couple these decisions because the only cause of the damages would be Weiss herself.

The only cause of Ruby's seeming discomfort was Weiss. There was no way around this fact. Without Weiss' intervention, Ruby would have continued to be confident and would have excelled immediately in a combat environment. However, this was not the case and Ruby wavered on her first day at the academy and risked her life to impress someone who could not be impressed. While this did result in the young girl becoming team leader, the relationship between one partner and another should be unburdened by hostility. As loathe as she was to admit it, Weiss knew that the partnership between Blake and Yang was as close as one could get to impeccable even with the open affection and romanticism shared between them. For this purely practical reason, Weiss saw their relationship as desirable.

But now was not the time to wish for such a connection—though, it is not to say that the heiress wished for any sort of romantic connection; rather, her intent was of a platonic, efficient bond. Since the light still shone grey, she figured not much time had passed since her awakening. For this reason, she knew that she did not have much time left, and as such, she would spend these last few minutes composing herself and focusing on the task at hand. That is, she would attempt this before a noise in the hallway caught her attention.

Weiss had been under the assumption that Ruby was still asleep, being that it was a few hours before she usually woke and there had been no concerning noise from the upper bunk worth noting. However, the heiress was immediately proven wrong when the younger girl tiptoed into their room with a bagel held between her teeth. Ruby did not seem to notice Weiss sitting up. Instead, her attention was placed on ensuring that the door would make as little noise as possible when closing. To her credit, it did not make any sound whatsoever, but when the young girl turned, her efforts seemed to strike her as unnecessary.

Upon seeing the newly awakened heiress, Ruby's eyes widened in shock and she subconsciously bit down on the bread. Weiss did not glare at her or give any indication of indignation, but instead sent a look of confusion. Ruby was not the type to be up early unless she was excited about something. Though the trip to the art exhibit did interest Weiss greatly, it was doubtful that Ruby felt the same way. Yet she was awake now and was standing at the room's entrance, staring at Weiss with a look of fear that would last for a long few seconds. At the end of this time, she would mumble through her bagel, "Uh…Good morning, Weiss."

The girl in reference moved on her bunk so that her back rested against the wall, finding a comfortable position as she addressed her partner. "Good morning, Ruby," she greeted calmly. "I didn't expect you to be up this early and I apologize if I startled you." Weiss was met with a raised eyebrow. "But do not let me interrupt you. We have a few minutes before we must depart, and you should finish eating before then."

At this, the heiress removed her covers, stood, and began to stretch her arms, as was routine. During this process, however, she did not hear her pajama-clad partner move from her spot, and when Weiss looked to the younger girl, she found her with an entirely fearful expression. The disappointed sentiments of the city square had dissipated only a couple hours after the regretful event, so it is not to say that fear of the heiress was the cause of this expression. What this look came from, Weiss assumed, was not due to her speech as a whole but what her speech referenced. The heiress ceased her movements and turned to her partner cautiously. "Ruby, you wouldn't happen to know the time, would you?"

With the same horrified expression, Ruby mumbled something, but it was incoherent due to the food she held.

"I'm sorry, but I couldn't understand you."

Ruby removed the bagel. "Um…It's uh…a little after noon?"

"Ah." Weiss nodded in acceptance before returning to her morning routine with an absent-minded smile. She never wondered why Ruby stood aghast at the door, instead focusing on the serenity of the early morning and the motions which would prepare her for the day. A simple arm stretches preceded checks of her finer motor functions. She released the lethargy still afflicting her fingers, rolled her head from side to side, and ensured that her vision did not suffer from the inherent strain of awaking at an early hour. She checked once more her plans for the day and then double-checked them to ensure that everything would be in working order. Finally, just before she could say that she was fully awake and ready to move forward with her day, Ruby's words sank in.

The heiress' smile left her and was replaced with a puzzled frown. "I'm sorry," she began carefully. "I do not think I heard you correctly. Could you repeat yourself?"

"N-noon," Ruby stammered.

A grave expression scored the heiress' features. She turned to look at Ruby who stood petrified. "You said 'noon,' correct?"

The younger girl nodded.

Weiss turned back to glare at an inconsequential point on the wall. This was followed by the heiress closing her eyes and realizing her mistake. There had been a storm the night prior—a rather bad one at that—and it was only natural that some lingering weather might exist, creating an overcast sky that would filter a grey light at her time of awakening. This meant that she had overslept by an egregious percentage. When next Weiss opened her eyes, she knew that rapid movement would be required to reach the exhibit that by now surely had an intolerable queue, and as such, she began.

Faster than Ruby could ever hope to move, Weiss dashed to the room's closet and retrieved her dress, commanding, "Ruby! We have little time to waste. Stand outside and finish eating. By the time you're complete, I should be ready, then you will have the chance to get dressed."

Ruby simply stood there, shocked into immobility.

Having no patience for niceties any longer, the heiress turned to glare at her partner and found that the only way to spur the young girl into movement was by shouting, "Quickly!" At this, Ruby's inefficient expression left her and she bolted out of the room, closing the door gingerly and all but inhaling her breakfast. Weiss began to dress herself.

She had slept in. Weiss Schnee had slept in. She had not only slept in, she had overslept by six hours—a quarter of the day squandered! It was frustrating, inconceivable, but it was also irrevocable and therefore unable to be changed. The only course of action left was to move quickly and hope that the queue which surely existed had broken for lunch. This trip had been planned prior to leaving Beacon and it had been forsaken for a few extra hours of unnecessary sleep. But again she was not one to complain when a situation required immediate action.

Ruby could not be blamed, no matter how upset the heiress was. After the events of the city square four days ago, anger was required to be kept at a minimum lest their partnership be tested again. Weiss did not bother wondering why Ruby chose not to wake her earlier, believing that the young girl had her reasons, regardless of how juvenile they may prove to be. Instead, she hoped that her partner would prove as speedy and energetic as she so often did in preparing for the day ahead of them.

After only a few minutes, Weiss opened the door to her shared room, straightening her jacket and regarding her partner who still had yet to finish eating despite her rushed look. The two stared at each other for a moment, one silently willing the other into motion and Ruby silently asking if it was time to move. "Quickly," Weiss said as she stepped out into the hall. "We haven't much time to spare."

Ruby, through her bagel, gave a cheerful grunt as she rushed into her room, grinning widely and nearly radiating the youthful energy that often characterized her. Even Weiss with all her aloofness and distance could not help but be affected by her for a moment, finding Ruby's ability to take this situation in stride to be nothing short of respectable. And in this regard, Weiss could not mistake the invisible smile that tugged at her lips as she turned to complete her morning routine.

A dunce though she was, Ruby was not hopeless—far from it, Weiss was certain. She was still young and reminded the heiress of herself at that age. At sixteen years, Weiss was energetic, herself, if in a different sort of way. Hers was to progress while Ruby's was to righteousness. While the heiress strived to learn and hone her skills with the intent of righting her family's company and name, Ruby chose to do the same with her long-run goal instead being that of righting the world. Saving the world was a foolish notion, but so too was saving a sinking company that could only be altered after two resignations or deaths. At sixteen, Weiss had unwieldy aspirations which evened and calcified over the subsequent two years. In that time, a plan would be devised, complications resolved, and naïveté eliminated, resulting in a stronger goal which could be possibly achieved. Saving the world was not hard if one could plan correctly, and Ruby was adaptable.

Even in the face of impossibility—the Grimm, the White Fang, Weiss herself—Ruby did not hesitate. She strode forward, challenging whatever crossed her path with a sincere smile and an eager attitude. How she managed to do this, Weiss could not fathom. It required an energy of the mind rather than of the body and Weiss could not hope to replicate this. However, it was admirable and so too was her enthusiasm despite her frequent overzealousness.

When next the heiress paused, she found herself midway through brushing her teeth. She moved her gaze from the imperceptible void of introversion and looked to the mirror before her. As she stared into the cold eyes across the reflective divide, she challenged herself with a mimicry of Ruby's fervor. This resulted in a challenging glare that held no negativity, but a drive for betterment.

She had treated Ruby poorly, Weiss decided. Coldness and aloofness, although in her nature, was what faulted her family's name. Ruby had been nothing but kind this summer and had been repaid with public defamation. The young girl had accepted Weiss' apology soon after the event, but such a simple action would never mend the rift that was unarguably between them. There would be no plan to the goal of mending this rift because the last time Weiss attempted something of the kind, the day had ended in the city square. Ruby deserved a human for a partner, not a statue, and because of this, Weiss resolved to soften her expressions somewhat. After all, this mirror that she stared into was her partner's and was only able to be stared into because Ruby invited her to stay at her family's supposed home. The glare she gave herself softened to a simple gaze and gradually warmed to what she believed would pass as a marginally happier demeanor.

When she completed her morning routine, Weiss stepped back out into the taupe hall and peered down either direction, finding their eventual exit past the living room and subsequent foyer to her left and Blake and Yang's respective rooms to her right. However, only the prior would be her eventual concern while her current interest stood on the opposite side of the door directly across from herself. Weiss moved to this portal and rapped twice. "Ruby?" she called. "Are you almost done?"

"Yeah!" the young girl responded. "Just give me—give me a second!"

Rather than responding aggressively as would have been the norm, Weiss simply nodded and checked her person once more. Her sword was secured on its harness, her Dust vials were in precise order, her wallet was present, and her necklace as well. As she expected, her drive for efficiency paid off with her morning routine that had been honed to such a concise time that her regular appearance could be achieved in only five minutes' time. Today she had achieved this just shy of four minutes—a time she was silently proud of. Ruby, however, could not be expected to move as quickly in this sort of situation, semblance or not, but she tried nevertheless.

After a few minutes of patience, their door flew open and the girl stood there, disheveled and hiccupping. Weiss cleared her throat and regarded the mess before her. Ruby did not move under the heiress' critical gaze but did hiccup again due to what Weiss could only assume was her breakfast.

"You cannot step out like this," Weiss would eventually state. This would cause a look of objection from her partner, but this, in kind, would be dismissed. "Straighten your blouse and fix your hair." She was met with another expression, but this was of confusion. "Quickly, Ruby, we don't have time to waste. If we wish to make the exhibit, we must leave now. You can take care of whatever else you need on the way there, but you must look presentable first. Quickly."

The young girl promptly did as her partner said with a pained expression that arose frequently and with each hiccup. Weiss looked on with an expression comprised somewhat of pity, but mostly out of thinned patience. The girl in red finalized her cursory fixes and smiled hopefully at her partner, brushing a stray bang out of her face. The heiress did not bother returning this expression, instead looking her partner over for any more necessary corrections. Ruby still had her hiccup which would be rectified soon enough and she seemed uncomfortable with the fit of one of her boots, still untied. Weiss looked to her partner again and said, "Good. Now we can go. You can fix your boot in the car."

"Wait, Weiss," Ruby interrupted. "Can I—get some water first?—"

The heiress shook her head. "It will be taken care of in the car."

There was a moment where Ruby simply stared at her partner, and at this end of this moment, she sighed. "O-okay."

The two then moved from their position and turned down the hallway. As they entered the living room, Ruby began to pull at her boot, hopping forward on one foot and attempting to fix her troublesome fit. Subconsciously, Weiss' hands balled into fists at her partner's insistence at ignoring the plan. However, she could not be angry at the young girl. They were both in a rush and were prone to mistakes.

As they passed the coffee table-centered furnishings of the sisters' living room, Weiss saw out of the corner of her eye the entryway to the kitchen and through it a shudder-inducing sight.

The opposite partnership of the unruly blonde and uncharacteristically happy Faunus stood in a sickeningly affectionate embrace, heads resting against one another's as a means of assuaging Blake's obvious discomfort from the night prior. The cause of this discomfort could only be assumed to be linked to the White Fang, but Weiss could not be sure nor could she truthfully care with her present error in punctuality.

The taller girls had turned to looked at the heiress and found her with a disinterested expression. "We are leaving for the exhibit," she informed flatly. "Do not bother following us." Both members of the partnership furrowed their brows but Weiss could not so much as feign interest for their confusion. Instead, she and Ruby moved to the foyer and out the front door.

The sisters' home which rested on the edge of Vale's city limits was questionably large—not Schnee Manor large (let alone Glatteis Manor), but considering their societal standing, this plot of land was suspect. It was a building in the style of ranch houses of old and rested upon a tract of land purportedly gifted to Ruby's mother for her merits as a huntress. If she was as good as the sisters said she was, then there would be no reason to question the validity of this isolated house, but there was no huntress to Weiss' knowledge with the surname of "Rose" or "Xiao Long." Of course, one could exist, but the name had never been one of legend to Weiss' awareness. Regardless, the house existed and its faraway location would only delay the journey into the city.

The two made their way down the short few steps of the home's porch and onto the red dirt path upon which the limousine waited. As was expected, an overcast sky hung low over this rustic locale and an intangible drizzle cooled the scene to a temperature far below normal for a summer day in Vale. Never one to be undeterred, Ruby beamed and all but skipped to the car's door, held open by the scornfully patient driver. Ruby's energy urged the heiress into a state of near positivity, but upon seeing the driver's uninterested look, her demeanor sank once again.

She tried to ignore his remark, but upon reaching the door, she halted. "I was under the assumption that your departure was scheduled for seven thirty, Lady Schnee. An awfully unfortunate day to oversleep, is it not?"

She turned a cold, flat gaze on her driver and found his smirk. "I don't pay you to assume. Your occupation is of the assistant, not of the analyst. If my goings on do not fit your schedule, then you are free to leave at any time."

"Perhaps your father would be informed that your temper still presides."

"And perhaps my father would be informed of your White Fang affiliations."

The man's smirk fell away and a puzzled look controlled his countenance. "After all, you are but a singular employee to a multinational conglomerate and I am one of two children to a man who is obsessed with the concept of familial loyalty. He would accept your report as truth because that is what it is, but if I were to tell him that you, as a member of the White Fang, plotted to kill me, he would accept my report as truth, too." This confusion fell away and his expression became one of stoic fear. "And if we continue with this hypothetical, we would find that on the off chance my father chose only to fire you, I would ensure that your severance amounts to but a sandcastle in Vacuo." Weiss' gaze hardened to a glare and the man shuddered at this expression. "Return to your seat. I will not hear of another instance where you or any of your coworkers question my methods. Have I made myself clear?" He nodded. "Begone."

At this, the man scurried off to the other side of the limousine, a renewed vigor in his step and worry present in his visage.

Weiss sighed. She had sounded like her father.

"Weiss?" came the voice of Ruby from inside the limousine. "Is everything—everything okay? You sound upset." The heiress ducked into the vehicle and pulled the door closed behind her. As the resulting thump resonated through the car, the partition to the driver's compartment slid open. However, it only stayed this way for a second before closing to Weiss' forward glare. "Hey, Weiss?—Is everything all right?"

The vehicle lurched forward, forcing Weiss to take a seat beside her partner who had not noticed the carafe sitting in the nearby armrest. Because the heiress chose a seat closer to this location and because she promised to act kinder to Ruby, she sighed and began to pour a glass of water for the hiccupping girl. "Yes," she replied, handing the drink to her partner. "I was simply dealing with an annoyance."

The young girl scrambled for the cup, flashing a relieved smile as she said, "Thanks, Weiss." As the heiress poured herself a glass, Ruby winced for a moment as she washed away her impediment before grinning cheerily, if not mischievously. "Also, you're welcome."

Weiss raised an eyebrow. "I beg your pardon?"

"Well, I mean you wouldn't be as good at dealing with people like that if it wasn't for me annoying you all the time, huh?" She giggled, disregarding the self-deprecating meaning to her words. Weiss looked to her warily, unsure of if a joke was being made at her expense or if Ruby was being sincere. "If it wasn't for me, you probably would have screamed at the guy! You're lucky I'm here to keep you in check."

Now Weiss was sure that Ruby was joking. For this, she allowed herself a slight smirk as she rested against her seat. "That's a bit of a vain statement, wouldn't you think?"

"Ouch." Ruby mimicked her partner's position and expression. "Coming from you, that hurts."

"I think you've been spending too much time with Yang."

"Well, duh! She's my sister. Anyways, you haven't been spending enough time with me."

The heiress looked to the girl uncertainly. "There has yet to have been an instance where I leave for anywhere without you."

"Yeah, but still…" Ruby laughed. "I wanna spend more time with you, if that's all right. I mean, I can understand if you don't want to, but I just want to watch a movie or something with you—nothing too big or anything, just something like that conversation we had the other day. You know, the one over breakfast when you had the headache?"

"I know the one." Weiss was unsure of where this conversation was going, what point it had. If all of this was for a simple request then it could be accommodated, but Weiss did not understand why the request was being made in the first place. "But you want to spend _more_ time with me? Why?"

"Because you're my friend? Because I like you? Because Blake's taking up all of Yang's time now so I have nobody to hang out with?" The young girl smiled at the heiress. "Weiss, it's not that hard. I'm not trying to pull anything. I just want to hang out is all. Whenever Yang starts dating anyone, it gets really lonely at home. But if you want to be by yourself, just tell me and I won't annoy you."

"Ruby…" the heiress sighed. "I should never have given you the impression that you are an annoyance. You've been nothing but kind to me since the moment we've met and I have been the one to counter you with sarcasm and condescension. Why you would wish to know me better is beyond my comprehension."

"You always do that, Weiss: clam up when somebody starts talking about you. I don't know why you do that and I kinda want to find out. It's always work, plans, and technique with you and never feelings or wishes. I want to know the real you, Weiss. I don't care about what your family says or what you _have_ to say, but what you think—what you _want_ to say."

"Ruby, trust me. You don't want to probe my mind."

"No, I'm not saying that. I'm saying that I want to break you out of your shell; I want to hear what your opinion is on stuff. You're smart, Weiss, but you never talk about anything other than school or requirements. I just want you to have fun and relax a little bit. I mean, what kind of summer break would it be if you spent the entire time planning for next year while I play through the game Yang got over and over again? The boring kind, that's what. That's why we should spend more time together! That way, we won't be bored and we'd both have somebody to talk to!"

Weiss did not immediately respond. Ruby was asking the heiress to act like a normal human being, to disregard years of conditioning just for the sake of distracting conversation. They were different people, Ruby and Weiss, and there was nothing that would immediately necessitate a friendship between the two. One desired companionship but lacked the tools and insight to build such a bridge. The other had been forced into complacency over years of separation and felt no reason to move from her solitude. This was not a matter of one warming to the other, but a matter of choice in that the more frigid of the two could decide whether to let Ruby be an actual friend or simply have her hold the title.

"Is that not what today is for?" the heiress eventually asked. "To spend time with each other?" Weiss grimaced at her wording. It had come out perhaps too open and even affectionate. "What I mean is are these outings insufficient?"

"Kinda." Ruby looked to her glass and began tapping at it with her fingers. "Don't get me wrong, I really liked when we were walking through the city the other day. That was the most fun I've had in a long time, except for the part where…you know. But other than that, it was fun! And the conversation that morning? Even though we were tired, I liked it."

The young girl hummed. "I don't get to speak to people like that very often. Yang's fun to joke around with and stuff, but she's my sister. I already know just about everything there is to know about her. And Blake? I mean, I like talking to her, but she just doesn't like talking. That and she's pretty much preoccupied with Yang now. And anyways, I consider you to be one of my best friends. Going out and doing stuff is fun, but sometimes I just want to do regular friend stuff."

"And what, per se, is this 'regular friend stuff?'"

"Honestly? I'm still trying to figure that part out. But I think it means talking about stuff and just hanging out. You know what I'm talking about, right?"

"I can't say I do."

Ruby sighed. "Yeah, me neither."

This fell away into a rather awkward silence purveyed by those unsociable and insociable. One was understanding the gravity of her request while the other considered this pause and what it meant. Ruby struggled to find a friend, referring to her sister and teammate as though they were mere options to pursue at some indeterminate point in the future. Yet her reference to the heiress was that of earnest fact which would beguile the girl in white with its conviction and certitude. Though the heiress saw no need for any friend, the joy she had felt in the central hours of her past stroll through the city was noteworthy to say the least. Positivity, or at least some attempt at it, had proven restorative to errors and injuries previously unknown and unspeakable. In this respect, perhaps acceptance of Ruby's plea would prove beneficial in a short-run scenario. Moreover, Weiss' promise to herself of softer expressions and amending past mistakes would not be forgotten.

"Perhaps," the girl in white would eventually say. "Perhaps additional time spent together could prove beneficial. And perhaps this 'regular friend stuff' could be learned in time—for both of us, that is." The young girl's eyes brightened in jubilation. "But I feel as though I must give you some advice on the matter: do not expect warmth from me. Though I am willing to lessen the severity of our interactions by a considerable degree, you must understand that my personality is unchanging and for due purpose. My reason for existence is to uphold the Schnee name and its company when my sister fails. If I become dependent on companionship of any kind, it would only be a weakness for others to exploit. And if this proves to be the case, then I will find scarce friends at the foot of oblivion. So, I will spend time with you if that's what you want, but do not expect my personality to waver."

Despite the warning, Ruby grinned toothily. "I never did. You wouldn't be Weiss if you didn't give me a challenge!"

The heiress smiled. There was something about this girl that simply could not exist in the northern region. It could be argued that her sincerity or her enthused spirit would be this unknown factor, but Weiss knew this was not the case. Even in the most destitute of locales plagued by necessity and fearful of stagnation, honesty and positivity were valuable commodities. So, it is to say that an unknown factor of Ruby's character separated her from the diligents and uniformists of Atlas. Even to the heiress who believed herself to hold remarkable knowledge of the world could not ascertain the defining factor of her partner's character. However, she was knowledgably affected by this invisible force and smiled because of it, not due to progress in terms of finding what this force was, but progress in terms of being moved by it.

As the slight rain cascaded down and past the tinted windows of this darkened confinement, awareness of temperature, necessity, and even time faded away into promised conversation. They were late to the exhibit and Weiss would hold herself accountable for this error, but animosity simply could not survive in this moderately intimate atmosphere. Impatience could not form when appeasing discourse took precedence and frustration at a forgone schedule was interrupted by the calming effect of company. There would be no heavy topics nor personal inquiries discussed, but instead superfluous questions about what the exhibit held, remarks about sights they passed by, and occasional jokes from the younger of the two that could unfortunately not spark an instance of laughter. Yet the ride was comfortable and Weiss could not find reason to be annoyed by her partner. Instead, her expression softened to an unwitting smile as she heeded Ruby's excitement. Though it was later than expected, Weiss did not mind after all. The future looked bright and reparations seemed possible.

* * *

><p>A biting wind coiled the enthused climate, bringing with it stinging rain from the north, regressing to the point of frigidity and spite. Even inside the car, breaths became shorter and movement became taxing as this unusual temperature broke the spirit of the vivid city. Ruby seemed to fare well enough, moving invisibly away from the windows from which the cold radiated, but she wore only a façade that would keep her from discomfort. Weiss, meanwhile, could not force such an optimistic expression. Hers was of a disgruntled scowl that acted as the thin veil between composure and lashing out. It had been an error to choose the bolero over the pea—perhaps the only oversight in the zealous scramble. No matter how long she had lived in Atlas, she had never acclimated to its weather and seldom saw the low temperatures as anything but hindrances. And now with the falling rain and freezing gale that she had intended to avoid with this escape to Vale, she sat restlessly in the cold of her limousine, hugging herself for comfort and glaring at nothing in particular to mask her indignation.<p>

"So," chuckled Ruby morosely, "are you ready to go?"

The young girl was met with a low growl of self-motivation before the heiress said, "Unfortunately." Ruby nodded and crawled toward the door, but before opening it, she turned to her still immobile partner. "Wait," Weiss commanded and the girl complied. She closed her eyes for a moment, savoring this relatively warm environment, before looking to her partner with revitalized purpose. With a nod from the heiress, the door was thrown open.

Even before she stepped out of the car, Weiss felt the vicious chill break her conviction. But it was Ruby's rapid movements and insistences that pulled her from her location and into the wintry disturbance. Once the door was closed, the two wasted no time in trudging down the short stretch of sidewalk to the marble steps and up to the drier, colder portico under which the two could rest for a small moment.

Out of the corner of her eye, Weiss spied the limousine rolling away with its driver aware of the duo's expected time of departure. Once she was certain her father's informant was too far to make assumptions, she turned to Ruby who still held her veneer of strength despite the visible shivers that shook her form. Weiss could not say that she fared much better, herself, for as a gust surged through the arrangement of columns around them, not even clenched teeth and distracting anger could suppress her shudder. Through her wince, the heiress looked to her partner, asking "Shall we?" with no intention to entertain any negative answer. Ruby nodded and the two moved across the walkway to the glowing entrance.

Under this accosting squall there should be no reason to depart from one's home no matter how momentary the storm may prove to be, resulting in the absence of a queue before the orange-white entry. With a thankful exhale, the two of red and white staggered into the warm lobby. Ruby's expression had held and was the only reason why Weiss had not lost her composure. Perhaps it was a prideful sentiment or perhaps she had been competitive in this instance, but whatever the case, Ruby's front of ease allowed the heiress to keep her own. Now that they could rest under the normality of the museum, the two exchanged tired smiles that did not communicate any positivity or affection, merely a shared bond of survival over something objectively menial—the sort of bond Weiss desired.

From a desk across the alabaster room, an admission's clerk asked, "Cold out there?"

Weiss did not respond yet, caring only about the possibility of impeding her partner's cheery demeanor. When she saw Ruby's regular smile and knew she was unfazed, the heiress regarded her greeter with an uninterested look. "Go see for yourself." She then regarded her coat which had not done her much by the wind. It was soaked around the cuffs, but not much else—a minor inconvenience in comparison to Ruby's shivering form. Her cape, usually the color of her namesake, was but a burgundy that clung to her neck and back. The sight alone sent a chill up the heiress' spine, but the girl in red smiled widely as she walked to her partner.

"Sorry about that, Weiss. I didn't know it was gonna get cold like that."

Why was she apologizing? The plan had been of Weiss' own and a warning of inclement weather would not have altered this. So why then was Ruby apologizing? This would be a question elusive to the heiress' comprehension for some time to come and would not be resolved in this present moment which required reaction. "It doesn't matter. We've arrived and that is what counts. Will your cloak be an issue or—"

"Oh, no! No, it's not a problem! It'll dry out eventually."

"But what of the cold?"

"Eh, it doesn't bother me much." The heiress raised an eyebrow at this. Even still the young girl suppressed a shudder to the touch of the wetted cloth. "Weiss, it'll be fine. It's been through a lot worse and come out fine every time."

"And what of you? Aren't you afraid of catching cold?"

"Weiss, you're sounding like Yang."

Suddenly, the heiress realized the pleading edge to her words and how concerned she must have sounded. Furthermore, to be compared to one so brazen and impulsive was sobering and evocative of an indignant attitude. "I am not!" she objected. "My concern was for your discomfort slowing us down." She crossed her arms and found the cold of her cuffs and shivered because of it. However, her pride demanded this position be maintained as she continued. "If you say it is a nonissue, then I shall let this matter rest." At this, she turned to the admissions table and marched toward it, heels clicking noisily against the marble slab flooring.

Though Weiss could not see it, Ruby's smile dipped into an amused smirk as she bounded after her partner. "Hey, what happened to your personality not changing? I thought you said you weren't going to be nice to me?"

"I said no such thing." She reached the table and motioned to the clerk for admittance for two. "What I said was that my personality would not change. This does not reflect my ability to act genially, only my tendency."

"Yeah, but that was still pretty nice of you—you know, caring for me like that."

Mid-transaction, the heiress turned an unamused glare on her partner. Ruby's words were doubtlessly mocking but her expression was sincere—a dubious combination indeed which called into question the young girl's naïve motives. However, the transaction would need to be completed. The heiress relinquished her iron grip on the card held by the clerk and turned her focus on the desk. Unfortunately, Ruby was not yet complete.

"I mean, remember that one time you got me coffee? I liked it when you did that. That's what you reminded me of just then."

Weiss sighed. "For the record, there are three instances where I have gotten you coffee."

"See? You do care!" the young girl exclaimed as the man handed Weiss' card back with a smirk. This look, however, was crushed with a glower from the heiress. In kind, this expression was halted by Ruby's continuance. "You even remember all the memories we've shared!"

The heiress pocketed her card moved away from the desk, striding towards the muraled antechamber with her partner following close—very close—behind. This was the personality that so often annoyed her, and this instance was no different. The heiress saw her partner as trying to incite some sort of reaction that would never come. She thought for a moment to reprimand Ruby for this insistence, but past indiscretions and promises kept this from happening. And on some level, Weiss knew that Ruby was aware of this, too. Instead, the heiress sighed. "Why do I even bother with you?"

"Where to start?" Ruby mused. "My irresistible charm?"

"No." The partnership entered the short room whereupon a diverging course faced them. To the right was the more contemporary of the two exhibits and the one this museum regularly curated while to the left was the older exhibit Weiss had traveled to see. However, if this decision were simple and unburdened, then there would be no reason to remark upon the event. While the left path did beckon to the heiress, she knew that it would be improper to forego the perennial collection of works this previously unvisited building held. She would begin with the right path and view the travelling exhibit once she was complete. As they moved toward the modern exhibit, Ruby continued.

"What about my stunning good looks?" Out of the corner of her eye, Weiss saw her partner flip her hair in a pitiful attempt at vanity.

"No."

"My jejune wit?" The young girl stuck her nose up.

"Do you even know the meaning of the word?"

"No, but that's not the point!" The two came to a halt beneath the archway which marked the entrance to the first exhibit. Ruby had moved in front of the heiress with a smile that could not only hold the simple happiness she regularly fostered. To the chagrin of the heiress, a small crowd wandered the main hall of this nearest exhibit, their chatter drifting in echoed whispers while they thankfully minded their own business. Ruby, however, could not be as polite, standing in front of Weiss' path. "You're changing the subject," the young girl surmised. "You do care about me just like you secretly care about Yang and Blake. Something's going on with you and I plan to find out what the root of the matter is."

"So, you're going to play detective for the day?"

"Ah! There you go again, changing the subject! I'm onto you, Weiss. Nothing you say can get past me." She moved closer and her smile dipped into a sort of predatory grin, forcing the heiress to stagger backwards unwittingly. "You like me, Weiss; you just don't want to admit it. You're in need of a friend, too, but you just can't say so."

It was an appalling claim which brought a blush to the heiress' cheeks. But uncertainty aside, Weiss would not back down to this challenge and froze her gaze, moved forward, and forced Ruby to take a step back herself. "All right. If you wish to get to the root of the matter, we will. Is that what you want?" The young girl eagerly nodded. "I should ask what reaction you expect to cause with your inquiries. Perhaps it is embarrassment over an outlandish claim or perhaps it is penitence for the ways I have wronged you. These would be the only likely answers since your attempts of interrogation have included only recalling past events and goading me into saying what I think of you. But I suppose nothing so nefarious would fit with your…gung-ho nature. No, there's something more superficial at play here. What then is your purpose?"

Ruby's eyes widened during this in a show of revelatory fear. Weiss must have correctly assumed an ulterior motive, but because of her promise for a softer expression, she would not follow through with this investigation. Her partner, however, seemed to think that Weiss would, causing her interjection of "N-n-nothing!" before looking around frantically. Now it was the young girl's turn to change the subject and avoid the root of the matter—the reason why she appeared so bold and matter-of-fact. In her panic, the young girl seemed to find some point of interest in the exhibit and pointed at it desperately. "Oh, hey! Look at that! A cool painting!"

The heiress shook her head as she moved past her partner. "You are a terrible liar." Ruby chuckled nervously as she followed Weiss into the main exhibit.

The only sounds in this versed hall were of the patrons and tourgoers' muted conversations echoing through the branching paths and up to the vaulted, fresco-abundant ceiling and back down again to the ears of the now contented heiress. It was quiet here, quiet and peaceful. There was no reason to bicker or argue over anything for once and Ruby simply walked beside the heiress as they made their way toward the first set of paintings. Upon the walls were the ornate frames (excessively gaudy for the most part) that held these works which dated as far back as the Seventh Age. And within this first gilded frame which the two stood before was the painting of a warrior.

Perhaps it was of a legend now long forgotten or some local fable pictorialized in order to share the story with others, but whatever the case, the darkly colored depiction of this man saw him staggering forth from the claw-stricken woods and ravaged scar of the forest, wielding his shattered sword tiredly and looking as though he could at any moment pass out.

It was a painting purposed more so to entertain than to give any significant meaning. Of course, to the people of Vale, it must have meant something, but to the heiress, this painting was lost on her for the most part. Though, it could be inferred that the warrior was representative of hunters (an apparently enthralling profession to this city) and the weary expression, broken weapon, and ruined forest could point to a scuffle with a creature of Grimm. And going further with this train of thought, the evident conflict could be perhaps simplified as humanity as a whole versus the Grimm with this taxing victory representing humanity's rise in the First Age. But this would be an errant evaluation, Weiss believed, since there was no allusion to Dust. Without this innovation, humanity would not have overcome the devastating hordes. Because of this prideful assumption that man alone could halt the Grimm, Weiss understood why this piece was placed in a stationary exhibit rather than it being allowed to travel for the world to see.

When she turned to look at her partner, she saw Ruby with an entranced expression about herself. The young girl still shook quietly at the affected cloak but covered this with her rapt attention. Unfortunately, her shivers concerned the heiress. "Ruby?" Weiss called. "Are you all right?"

Suddenly, the shivers stopped. Ruby turned and beamed at the heiress. "Yeah, it's just that I like this painting is all." As Weiss questioned the reason behind Ruby's ignorance of her question's intent, the young girl smiled at the painting. "It kinda reminds me of initiation. I don't know, it could just be the whole forest thing going on, but that's what it reminds me of."

She laughed. "We almost didn't get out of there alive. But I had fun and Yang did, too. I don't know about Blake, but you looked like you had fun. Well, you looked like you were having fun when I wasn't getting in your way." Ruby rubbed the back of her neck, discreetly warming the area that contacted the cloth in the process. "Sorry about that. I know what you meant now when you said I was attacking out of turn. It was kinda dumb of me."

"Ruby," Weiss interrupted, "I meant how are you feeling? You look cold."

"I could say the same thing about you!" Ruby laughed again as though she and her partner were both in joking moods, but this noise faded awkwardly away when she realized that this was not the case. Weiss merely stared at her, willing the young girl into answering. "No, I'm fine," she eventually said. "It'll dry up eventually."

"Yet it hasn't at all."

"But it will!"

"Ruby, we could not have been in the rain for more than a minute. Your cloak is still dripping and it is only making you colder."

"Yeah, but I can handle it. It's gonna start drying any minute now and then it'll be fine."

Weiss frowned and moved her attention entirely away from the painting before them. "But until that happens, you will remain cold. Perhaps we could fold it and carry it with us until that time arrives?"

"No, no. It's fine. It's really not that bad, actually, and I can already feel it drying up."

For whatever reason, Ruby was adamant about not removing her cloak. Weiss did not bother questioning the motive behind this adamancy, but she was concerned nonetheless. Although she did hold herself to distance, Weiss still felt bad about making Ruby suffer the consequences of the meteorological oversight. However, she knew the young girl would not be swayed with her underlying motive. The heiress sighed. "If you insist."

Perhaps it was only a selfish thought, but observing her partner's discomfort was itself discomforting. It was not the sight of cold or the thought of herself being cold that burdened the heiress, but the knowledge that she was inconveniencing her partner. Rather…She sighed. In actuality, this prior thought was found to be defensive of softer sentiments that the heiress paradoxically did and did not want. Truthfully, she had been rationalizing Ruby's discomfort as her own because the youth now held a strong façade (like Weiss so often did) but could not brave the cold no matter how much effort was put into hiding her discomfort. In this way, Weiss saw a part of herself in Ruby, or rather she saw Ruby trying to act like the heiress (or, at the very least, appease her). In seeing Ruby stare at the painting and suppress her shivers, Weiss frowned.

They moved to the next painting, one girl sporting a genuine smile and the other staring out of the corner of her eye at her partner. The picture was of the broken moon, still held together somewhat, signifying this piece's narrative of its collapse, but Weiss could not focus on this.

She should not have yelled at Ruby. It did not matter if the locale was a public square, their dorm room at Beacon, or their shared room at her house; the fact of the matter was that doing so was wrong. Weiss was not one for apologies since she lacked experience in making them, but restitution she could do. Yet neither payment nor coffee would mend the wound that surely existed. This situation—this girl—required a personality the heiress simply did not have. For the second time in her life, Weiss felt inadequate. The first was of no current importance, but this situation with Ruby evidently required something Weiss could not grasp. She knew its composition—care, tact, understanding—but could not synthesize it. However, this was no excuse. As she had promised herself, Ruby's wellbeing was to be placed before her own as a form of restitution.

But to properly do so, the heiress would have to overcome her own callousness.

There was an energy that radiated from the young girl—nothing necessarily quantifiable or recently noticed—that created a sensation torn between warm and tingling. Weiss never wanted to admit this feeling nor would she ever pay it any mind, but it was present and hard to ignore. Whenever she was in the presence of her partner, Weiss felt this energy and was affected noticeably. This came often in the form of a tingle that afflicted whichever side Ruby approached from. In this present situation, a constant sensation ran up the heiress' left arm (that which was closest to her partner) and this odd feeling would shift from a mere tickle to a warm sensation whenever the young girl accidentally swayed closer. In a way, it made the heiress want to move closer as well if only so that she could feel that warmth again, but her callousness would not allow such an action. This is why she needed to soften her expression.

Weiss was pulled from her thoughts by Ruby's inquiry. "Weiss? Are you all right?"

The heiress' eyes widened in realization momentarily before she composed herself. "Of course. What makes you ask?"

"You just looked like you had something to say. You can tell me, you know? I mean, if you want to talk to someone about it, I'm always open." The young girl had turned completely away from the painting and spurred that warm sensation Weiss so feared. She smiled in a way that could only be described as helpful, being that it was wide and energetic but not too eager as to put off the heiress.

Weiss sighed and turned her gaze to the floor. There was nothing to talk about—nothing that could be put into words yet—but perhaps something should be said. "I'm sorry, Ruby."

"Why's that? You didn't do anything wrong."

"Perhaps not today, but at the square…"

"Oh, that? No, it's fine. We all have our bad days."

"Ruby, it's not fine." To the heiress' dismay, she found that her voice had risen above the desired level and echoed around the room. She could not notice her partner's wavering smile because the thought of someone else hearing their conversation—the thought of someone malicious observing her affection—was frightening. However, the last time she succumbed to this sort of fear, she had attacked Ruby. As such, the heiress sighed and recomposed herself. "The way I acted the other day was entirely unbefitting, not only for a Schnee, but for a friend." Ruby's smile was reinvigorated by this final word, but Weiss did not see this effect.

"I have made very harsh statements at your expense and have never properly apologized. I don't believe this to be an apology, but something of an acknowledgement." Weiss met her partner's eyes determinately. "The things I said to you at the square and at the beginning of the year were wrong. They were my attempts at self-preservation and making the situation about myself when you took the brunt of all assaults. I should know better than to do that, but apparently this is not the case. At best, my behavior has been reprehensible, at worst, inhumane, but I'd like to do better. I'd…I'd like to try to do better."

"Well, I can't see how you can get much better."

"Neither can I, Ruby, and that's the problem." The heiress looked away from her partner and towards the shattered moon. "There is a divide between us—cultural, societal, and otherwise—and it has only brought you harm. As your partner, I cannot let this be and I feel as though this divide must be closed. I'm not sure how or even why this idea has come to mind, but I am going to follow through with it."

She paused and weighed the consequences of her next action before squarely meeting Ruby's gaze. "Ruby, as a Schnee of the Äschernen Berge, I give you my word that this divide will be crossed, one way or another. And for a Schnee to give her word is to guarantee success by any means necessary. There will be no more public squabbles between us, I promise."

The young girl shook her head. "Weiss, you don't need to do that. I've already gotten over it. It wasn't even that bad, honestly." She gave a grin that not only communicated her ease with the situation, it made Weiss feel better somewhat. "And besides, we've already crossed that divide. We're friends now! What else could a person really ask for?"

There were many things a person could ask for—many things that Weiss could wish for. There were things that could not be bought that do not include friends or allies (for she had gone without for her entire life). She could wish for a reunited home, and perhaps Ruby would understand this, but the heiress chose not to burden her partner with dour sentiments. "I can't say I have an answer to that yet."

"Exactly!" Ruby insisted. "Because there's nothing better than a good friendship. When you have one, it's like the whole world makes sense. Other people can talk loudly or say mean things and they can hurt your feelings, but if you have someone you can find common ground with or someone who you can talk to about it without them getting all offended and stuff, then it's like everything fits into place and you can tell the good from the bad without having to think about it. It's like when something's bothering me, I can just talk to Yang about it. She might not know exactly what's going on or what I should do, but talking helps me figure stuff out. And if you want to talk about what's bothering you, I'm always gonna be here to help. If you want me to help figure out your division problem, I can try, and maybe by talking about it, you can find out what you need to!"

Weiss could not help but mirthfully smirk. This was why Ruby was made team leader instead, this spirit. It was an admirable trait that would do incredibly well if replicated in a leadership position over the Schnee Dust Company. Her speeches always seemed improvised and never truly had any intellectual depth to them, but they were true enough and seldom failed to boost the heiress' mood. Still, Weiss would not be the person she carried herself as if she showed a moved expression. Instead, she simply smirked and quipped, "That's a bit of an idealistic statement, wouldn't you think?"

Ruby shrugged and chuckled, never losing that energetic grin that warmed the heiress' own expression. "Yeah, but when you bring reality into these sorts of speeches, they can get kinda dark, and nobody wants to listen to those. And hey, look at what the positivity did! You look prettier when you smile!"

The heiress blushed. There was something oddly sincere about Ruby's words. It was as though she was not merely complimenting Weiss, but stating observed facts innocently and offhandedly. For this, the frigid, eloquent, condescending heiress had no response to give other than a simple "Thank you."

"No problem! Now, you wanna move to the next painting or what? I think I've seen everything there is to see here." They both looked to the shattered moon again and found that it was but an illustration of a past event—a well-done piece in its own right, but not quite as interesting as others could be. The heiress nodded and the two moved away.

Positivity—open and unabashed endearment—was still yet strange to Weiss. There had been an unfortunate rise in defensive instinct upon hearing her partner's remark, but in order to be a better teammate and friend, Weiss realized that this positivity was something she was required to get used to. In a way, this optimism was reassuring to the girl who could not accept the world as anything but treacherous and subversive. It was a breath of fresh air, a thankful light in the deepest of jagged caverns at which Weiss could not help but wince after years of adjustment to her surroundings. It would take a while to become accustomed to this positivity—even longer than the past few months spent with the young girl—but Weiss believed that doing so would be worth the trouble.

Ruby spoke highly of friendship and so too did every book that touched upon the subject. They all referenced a force that could not only motivate and entertain, but alter one's purpose in life for what seemed to be the better. It was a connection between two beings that often times was explained as a more detached version of romance. But this did not dissuade the heiress from rationalizing the concept in her favor. Such a connection was ideal, something that had been held by Wilhelm and the old king and something she had expected warriors to find through camaraderie. While Ruby was no king and this situation was not pressured by combat, this did not mean a connection could not grow.

But Weiss would be lying if she said the concept did not scare her. Her conditioning led her to believe that trust given in any amount was unwanted and could only create an exploitable weakness. Of course, alliances and transactions could be made, but to wholeheartedly trust another in the way that friendship supposedly required was to be confident enough in the person that betrayal could be claimed impossible. Moreover, it required such a confidence in the other as to assure previous allies that this new relationship would not inconvenience any party.

In this regard, Weiss was also afraid of what her father might think. Though he was an entire ocean away from where she now stood, she would eventually return to him and he would know of her change. She had never had any friends to speak to him about, so she had insufficient knowledge to predict how he would react to Ruby's involvement in her life. Winter had spoken to him about potential boyfriends and he had always responded passively, but he had always favored his eldest daughter. Were Weiss to bring the matter of Ruby to his attention, he would likely not pay it any regard and dismissively deny the opportunity without much of a second thought. Yet if she were to socialize with the business elite at one of his events, he would applaud this and encourage her to form false friendships so to garner a greater standing. Ruby and huntresses alike did not concern him and were thus matters to be done away with. This unfortunately meant that discussing the matter of Ruby with him was entirely out of the question.

For this reason, Weiss knew that she alone would have to make the decision of whether to remain in this precipitous friendship or pursue a more personable path. However, this decision, like all the others, would take time to consider and weigh the options of. For the time being, the two would briefly visit the other paintings in the area and eventually move from this main hall, to its end, and down the left-most path and would arrive upon yet another immaculate hallway, this one significantly narrower than the prior to such a degree that the partners could no longer walk beside each other comfortably. And upon arriving at this location, they reacquainted themselves with the fact that they were not alone.

A rather unenthused bunch loitered around one figure, a tour guide most likely, who spoke vapidly about a painting before them. The unfortunate circumstance of this case was that this congregation, as small as it was, clogged the path at the very first painting of the hall. Whatever the painting was, Weiss decided that it would not be worth waiting for and that the next painting in the hall (her pride would not allow her to reverse the decision of the left path) would be worth visiting instead. This thought was communicated to Ruby and the two pushed their way past the crowd. It is to say that they pushed their way past the crowd rather than simply walking past them because there was no compliancy to be found amongst these spiritless shadows. With one apologizing profusely and the other glaring resolutely at those around her, the two squeezed past the obnoxious group and made their way to the next painting.

Yet upon seeing this composition, the heiress' heart sank. It took no expert eye to know that this piece was meant to be romantic in both senses of the word. Two forms upon an allée appeared close together amongst the withering autumnal hues and rain-slicked path as they strolled away towards their horizon. If this was not a scene representing that unnecessary bond, then the heiress shuddered to think of what would.

Conversely, Ruby positively glowed at the image. "Aw, look at them! They look happy together!"

It was an obscene sight. Open amicability, while presently unattainable for the heiress, was relatively rational and effective to reach a desired goal. But this? She thought of Blake and Yang and how they were likely to be ambushed by a Grimm during one of their strolls. It was an unfortunate thought, but true enough in the heiress' mind. Such a relationship could perhaps blossom in its earlier stages, but inevitably it would wilt and die as they so often did. She had seen countless marriages and the spiteful effects of them through her father's events and never once did a husband and wife present themselves with anything other than a façade. This show of affection seemed happy enough, but fleeting.

However, Ruby did not seem to think this and smiled for whatever reason. To distract herself from the nauseating image, Weiss silently watched her partner's expression shift through the spectrums of awe and dreamy amusement. She could not know for certain Ruby's thoughts at this time, but the heiress could assume that the image evoked a wishful feeling within the young girl. After all, her reason for becoming a huntress was to parallel the heroics and legends of the storybooks she was raised upon. Weiss was familiar with many of these stories, but she was also aware of the unfortunate subplots (or, many times, plots) involving the hero's love for another.

This begged the question of what Ruby saw in the painting that made her smile wishfully. The immediate answer that came to mind brought a blush to the heiress' cheeks—one so completely embarrassed and afraid that she could not hope to conceal the reaction. Surely this would not be the case; that is, Ruby seeing herself and Weiss as the two in the painting. But it was a definite possibility, being that they were walking together on a rainy day—with Ruby being as imaginative as she was, it was entirely possible that the present stimuli resulted in some reverie of the sort. The heiress had made it abundantly clear that such a relationship would never occur between them and that even a friendship would be more than a little difficult. Yet they were now stated friends and Weiss had given her word to mend the divide by any means. Ruby's probable knowledge of this promise's meaning and the fact that the promise existed admittedly frightened the heiress.

Any relationship of the sort bothered Weiss, but such a relationship with Ruby specifically was far more disconcerting. It was not the idea of a same-sex couple which concerned her, but the idea of Ruby. There should be no doubt in any person's mind regarding Otto Schnee's disdain for the young girl. One was cold and militaristic while the other was joyful and playful. At a fundamental level, the two simply could not relate with each other. Furthermore, Weiss was unwilling to be burdened by a bond as hindering as romance.

Suddenly, an oppositional thought came to mind. She had felt this way before about friendship, but now she was willing to admit to the young girl that they truly were friends.

However, friendship and dating were two vastly different concepts. Friendship was akin to an alliance or trade agreement with the major difference being an honest respect and care for the other party. This respect and care did exist within the heiress for her partner, but it was because of her stubborn pride that she did not readily admit Ruby as a friend. But the respect and care placed on another required of dating—or what she expected dating to require—did not and would not apply to her relation with Ruby. Truthfully, the heiress doubted she had the capacity to care for any person in such a way, but inability had never stopped her before. What stopped her now was the thought of this contrasting girl who was entirely capable of caring for another in such a way that dating required. Ruby was an ideological threat to the Schnee name who lacked a threatening edge, but somehow this innocuousness was even more discomforting.

This discomfort was certainly caused by Ruby's overenthusiastic attitude, but Weiss could not say that her own reaction to this positivity did not play a role in her upset. Weiss set no conscious limit for herself as to how angry or offensive she could become, but struggled for all her life to truncate episodes of happiness and kindness. She was to be cold and distant as her name required and she felt genuinely comfortable in acting this way, but was it wrong to limit oneself in this way? Was it wrong to place these restrictions in this order rather than in their inverse?

The answer was uncomfortably simple: yes. Yes, acting in such a way doubtlessly seemed unnatural to another (namely Ruby). Pride hoped to limit this sentiment, but characteristic practicality gave Weiss the knowledge that this situation—her own appearance and mannerisms—was a problem to be fixed.

She had given Ruby her word to do whatever it takes to cross the divide between them, and if this meant engaging in a fleeting relationship, then Weiss would have the courage to undertake this task. It is not to say that she anticipated the event or that she thought it plausible. Honestly, she was afraid of such an event occurring and knowledgably lacked the personality to properly excel in a relationship, but she was stubborn and would follow through with making amends no matter what the situation called for. This is what Ruby deserved.

The heiress was shaken from her reverie when the young girl turned and met the blue-eyed gaze that wistfully rested upon her. Unfortunately, seeing the blush Weiss held forced Ruby's otherwise cheerful smile into one more sheepish in nature. In turn, this caused Weiss to turn back to the now suggestive painting so to mask her uncharacteristic plans.

Ruby cleared her throat. "So, uh, what do you think of the painting?"

"It's…" The situation required appeasing conversation, not anything analytical. "It's fine. What do you think?"

The young girl's posture straightened to a near invisible degree and her expression shifted to one dependent upon false confidence. "I, uh…I think it's cool." Before, she had remarked as if the scene was endearing. Now, however, she seemed embarrassed. Whether this was indicative of trepidation toward being positive or if some romantic sentiments were involved could not be ascertained, but Weiss was nevertheless aware of the fact that something was off. "It reminds me of…umm…Well, it looks like something I'd—"

To both Weiss' chagrin and delight, Ruby was cut off from her explanation of what she saw in the painting by the slow but insistent mob of tourgoers. In the latter respect (and it is to be ordered this way in terms of increasing magnitude), she was happy that Ruby could not finish her explanation because this saved the heiress the trouble of concealing probable emotion. However, concealment of emotion proved impossible due to the former reaction to Ruby's cutting off. In the case of Weiss' outrage, she was interrupted from her own thoughts and composure by the swarming, inconsiderate group and the bleating guide.

Both girls were effectively shoved away from the painting, Weiss with a growl and Ruby with mild alarm, and towards the back wall. "Excuse me!" the heiress objected loudly, but even her piercing complaint could not buffet the blathering speaker.

They had no sense of decency or decorum—they were slothful animals! An elbow unwittingly jabbed the heiress in her ribs and was followed by a half-hearted mumble of an apology. Ruby had unfortunately been pressed against her partner's side, their shoulders crushed against each other amid this throng of unmoving clots. The tingling, warm sensation had been lost for the time being as the heiress focused her rage upon the surrounding drones. However, as the same person elbowed Weiss again, her hand was grabbed, moving her fury elsewhere.

However, this reaction tapered upon seeing Ruby's concerned expression. "Weiss," she whispered just loudly enough to communicate with the heiress without interrupting the man's quack speech about symmetry and linear perspective. "Come on, let's get out of here. I don't think they want us around."

Once more the heiress desired to object but was stopped at that warm feeling returning to her. She flitted her gaze to her companioned hand and returned to the silver wells of sincere concern before nodding with a newly aware blush. In this moment of struggle, Ruby's pull and drive moved the heiress from her predicament and the two would eventually free themselves from their sudden confines. All the while, Weiss strained to keep her eyes away from their shared grip and inadvertently exerted herself in the process, causing her hand to squeeze Ruby's and bring about an alarmed expression to the young girl's visage.

As soon as they found the main hall once again, having doubled back the way they came, their hands detached in a show of flustered embarrassment. However, it was not Weiss who hastily broke their embrace, but the girl in red. Concurrently, Weiss turned to glare down the offending hall. "I'm sorry," the young girl muttered. "Please don't be mad, Weiss."

Ideally, the heiress would stomp back to the tour and let loose a diatribe of Atlesian brutality against the offenders, but she had company and a reputation to uphold with importance placed in this respective manner. Instead, she huffed and trudged her way to the entrance of this exhibit, forcing Ruby to catch up with her.

"I'm not mad at you," the heiress growled. "It's them. We were in the middle of a meaningful conversation and they had the audacity to interrupt. Not only that, but they pushed us away. I have reason to be mad. They are a scourge upon this establishment—upon this art form. They walk around as though they own everything and comment on it as though it's somehow beneath them."

She balled her fists. "It's the other way around. Their history owns them—this place owns them. There have been hundreds of years' worth of development and to think that some shred of knowledge gleaned in their short, pathetic lives gives them the right to drone on about how retrospectively simple these pieces are makes me sick. They may not be the best paintings in the world, but there is certainly meaning to curate them in a capital's museum of art. To speak of them like they are lesser—as though they are reproducible—is a childish lie.

"And then they had the gall to intrude upon our conversation as though our existence means nothing. They walk in on our conversation, overtake it, and proceed to elbow us out with no regard for our safety only so they can make fun of the faults of someone they don't know. They take and do not give and yet they think that by censuring a formative artist's work, they are somehow furthering society. Perhaps if they took a moment to learn more than a shred they'd understand why people aren't lining up to criticize their work. At least I care enough to give the benefit of the doubt." The heiress grumbled, "And they still call _me_ a monster."

As they reentered the antechamber within which a path divided and words above a low decibel echoed restlessly into apparency, the heiress' fuming outrage was curbed by a hand that gripped her forearm and forced her to stop. Weiss wheeled around to face her aggressor, fueled by an indignity millennia in the making but was shocked into immobility when she felt arms wrap around her figure. Her frantic glare searched rapidly for its target but was obscured by a swath of black hair swaying listlessly scant centimeters before her eyes.

Though the realization took longer than she would have liked, the heiress came to find that Ruby had hugged her and now quietly soothed, "You're not a monster, Weiss."

The situation was wrong—incredibly, incredibly wrong—and yet Weiss stood paralyzed, not out of fear, but out of uncertainty. And it was this sentiment that shifted Weiss' anger from justifiable disdain to irrational reactance. "What are you doing?" she hissed. "I told you not to touch me! Did I not make myself clear when I said I'd—"

"You're not gonna cut my arms off, silly. You're just upset and need a hug." The young girl pulled her closer and tightened the embrace as best she could, trapping the heiress' arms at her side and removing her ability to step away. This immobility sent Weiss into a final panic as she struggled to communicate her bluffing menace.

"I—!"

"Weiss, no." Ruby's voice was stronger than usual yet still noticeably afraid. "You need a hug. You've _needed_ a hug and you just wouldn't let me near. Everything's gonna be all right. You didn't do anything wrong, they didn't do anything wrong, nobody did anything wrong. You're just getting worked up over something annoying and it's gonna be okay. I promise."

"I'm fine, it's just—"

"No, Weiss. It's time for you to listen for once. I might not be the smartest one on the team or the nicest or the calmest, but I'm your partner and I get to have a say in things, too. I get that you're mad—I might not understand why, but I know that you are and that's what matters. Those guys are just know-it-alls, and yeah, they're annoying, but that's who they are. It's not like going up to them and yelling is going to change anything. They're just gonna bite back and call you dumb—which you're not by the way! You've just gotta let them go and move on, Weiss. If you just forget about them, everything will be all right."

With Ruby's punctuation of "You're not a monster," Weiss was rendered speechless. Her energy to fight back had died away and she knew that her temper had led her astray once again.

As Weiss resigned to let Ruby hug her, knowing that in this vacant locale there was no soul to bear witness to her weakness, she felt endearing warmth wash over her. From her shoulders to her toes, from the pit in her gut to the choke in her throat, from the deepest recesses of her defensive, repressive mind, a subtle weight was lifted that brought about an alien tingle, a relaxation of the nerves, and a clearness of mind and conscience. With a single sigh, this weight was released and she allowed Ruby to hug her. Yet it should not be assumed that with this weight's absence came an influx of happier sentiments. In their stead came the lucid notions of pride and penance.

"'Become what you destroy.'" Weiss closed her eyes as Ruby made a small noise of confusion. The heiress sighed again. "It's my family's motto. Among other interpretations, it means that when we acquire someone or something, we keep it as its own but control it from the shadows. This is why so many hate us, this charade we play to keep their trust in an acquired company. Alternatively, it means to lower yourself to the level of your enemy to defeat them justly. It's not about honor like my father thinks, but about justice—true justice.

"To forget about the past is something I can't do. It's something the world can't do. I'm not talking about history repeating itself or being wary of past mistakes manifesting in the present, but if we cannot learn from our mistakes, then how are we going to progress? If the people in there remark half-heartedly on the efforts of someone more skilled in their craft as well as the ideas that the world considers worthwhile, then they are forgetting their past. We are the sum of our pasts collective and they are trying to prove otherwise.

"And now I am lowering myself to their level to attack them and their ideas. They are wrong and I know that, but how? How do I know that? I don't know any of them. I have no knowledge of their educations. I don't think of myself as an outstanding critic, but I assumed I was better than every one of them. I wanted to destroy them and abolish their ideas of forgetfulness, but in doing so, I've become like them. No, Ruby; I can't forget about them. I _am_ a monster and there is no way around this fact."

Ruby pulled away slightly so that she could still hold the heiress while peering into her muddled icy irises. The young girl shook her head resolutely. "You're not a monster no matter what you say. Sure, you can't forget about the big things in life like mistakes and stuff, but you can forget about the little things. You take things too seriously sometimes, Weiss. I mean, you lecture me about the smallest things I do wrong. I'm not saying I don't like your lectures—most of the time, I learn something!—but you act like you have to answer to everybody like you have to answer to one of our professors. These guys aren't that big of a deal in the grand scheme of things. There are probably things to learn from the way you wanted to attack them, but the way they acted isn't anything worth remembering. It's just a tiny, tiny bump in your road. It's dumb, I know, but you're probably gonna forget about it by tomorrow. That's what I meant when I said forget about them."

But they spat upon those they do not understand!

Of course, the heiress did not voice this objection. Ruby's words rang true enough and defeated her partner's founded logic. She was right in believing that the tour group was inconsequential and that distress over their impudence worked against the recovery process. In a calmer mind, Weiss would not hesitate to correct this error of the self, but she knew that she was not calm. Yet that warm sensation which seemed to flow from the youth settled the offended urges, and for this Weiss was grateful. Without Ruby's consideration—rather, without Ruby's help—this situation could have perhaps gone awry. But the heiress could not say her reasons for hugging Ruby back were purely rational. After all, the warm sensation and tingle had pulled her from her own derision and into the arms of someone else for the first time in so many years.

There was no relieved joy in the matter nor revitalized humanity but a cold necessity in hugging the young girl. Weiss struggled initially at willing herself to free her arms, but upon doing so, the affectionate action came naturally to her.

It was good to be in the arms of another. She knew not of the holistic effects of friendship, but she knew of the immediate calm this hug brought and thus startled Ruby with her sudden relaxation. But Ruby was not the type to recoil at her own success and giddily squealed when she felt Weiss return the sentiment. For this, the heiress could not help but smile, finalizing the shift from disgust to acceptance.

As her partner triumphantly rested her head against the cloth of Weiss' jacket, the heiress unsteadily moved her hands to Ruby's back and held the young girl as close as her uncertainty allowed, feeling the warmth and motion of another soul within her own arms. With this action came realization. "Ruby," the heiress began, but lacked any motivation to finish this sentence. The girl in reference made a small humming noise as she nuzzled into Weiss' shoulder, urging her to continue. With no small blush, Weiss returned to her realization and continued. "Your cloak is dry."

Perhaps it was due to Weiss' acceptance of happier sentiments or perhaps it was the hug itself, but Ruby grinned widely and toothily as she chipped, "Yup! Told you!"

Suddenly, Ruby let go and stepped away so to regard her cape and remark upon it favorably. Unfortunately, Weiss was unable to hear the explanation intended for her lone amusement because a sense of what could only be described as deep-seated loss took precedence and caused her genuine smirk to fall into a frown. This feeling of loss came with the denial of any further affection and seemed as such irrational. Yet the sentiment existed nevertheless and gripped her black heart. She wanted Ruby's friendship again but knew that such a desire was not what the Schnee name represented.

Before these thoughts could devolve tangential and spoil the otherwise pleasant day, Ruby stopped her unheeded story and stepped towards her partner again. "Weiss?" she asked. "Are you still worried about the tour?" The answer was 'no' but Weiss could not respond. "Weiss, I thought we went over this! You aren't a monster. It's not about 'You are what you eat' or whatever that was, it's about dealing with what's in front of you. It's—"

She was interrupted by a weary sigh. "It's fine, Ruby. I was just thinking about something."

"Oh," the young girl said, apparently surprised. "Well, that's good, right? At least you aren't dwelling on things."

The heiress chose to acknowledge this only with a nod before moving toward the other path from this room as though the action were routine. Ruby offered no resistance in following, but still Weiss stopped herself before her response could come off as cold. No matter how badly Weiss wanted to brush this instance off and let it fade into the insignificant obscurity of their past, she knew that this moment had been anything but insignificant, causing her halt and subsequent turn. She did not smile nor did she frown, instead forming the most sincere expression she could muster: one of a stoic gaze. "Thank you, Ruby," the heiress said. "Your assistance will not go unrewarded."

To most, this sort of promise from a Schnee would mean nothing less than societal salvation. However, Ruby merely grinned playfully. "Deal," she accepted. "Now, come on! We've gotta go see those paintings you came here for!" At this, the heiress allowed herself a small smile rather than an amused smirk and once again turned, allowing her partner to walk beside her as they left this muraled room for the last time this day.

Whereas the main hall served a more permanent purpose with a logically satisfying layout (not intriguing, not boring) and matching aesthetic to the lobby which gave an expression of openness and refinement, this secondary, latter hall was warm and intimate but so too dark and unexpected—charmingly mysterious if Weiss were to admit. There were no echoes of any tour before or behind them, not that any such noise could exist with the lower ceiling and closer walls—a design which would have mirrored the offending space in the past exhibit if not for the substitution of the blasé white walls for a deep rosewood. No light seemed to shine here outside of the taciturn fixtures placed sparsely but adequately. And to this end, the many paintings hung on either side of the winding, turning hall, coupled carefully and spaced evenly so to emphasize the importance of these abstruse works individually while representing the travelling collection as a whole.

Weiss genuinely and unabashedly smiled at even a glimpse of the gilded frame within which rested an honored work she had only seen replications of on the net. However, this was the only telling sign of excitement at the opportunity, being that her other responses were suppressed in order to maintain an air of civility. But she did not mind the fact that Ruby saw through her façade and matched the heiress' enthusiasm with a grin of her own. Together, the partnership quickly made their way to the first painting and the heiress would sigh contentedly, never allowing her candid expression to leave.

Previously, the works had been of contemporary composition, dealing in modern tribulations or light-hearted ideals which societies on the brink of war so desperately cling to. These, however, stood the test of time through fearlessness and panache. True, there were symbols and allegorical imagery aplenty, but these recondite matters could not appeal to the general populous who collectively decided a piece's worth. In the case of these paintings, there was a boldness of purpose in depicting these historic events in lights sympathetic and entrancing.

_The Fall of Vacuo_, circa an unimportant middle year of the Fourth Age, is considered to be the quintessential retelling of the historic destruction of Vacuo's first capital city. The painting depicted the inhospitable wastes of rock and sand as well as the walled-in kingdom which thrived centuries prior to this piece's composition due to gems and precious metals beneath the desert. But this success would be decimated in a piteous short time by the colossal sandstorm which loomed on the horizon, standing miles high and shrouding the cause of Vacuo's destruction. Yet because this piece was made by a surviving member of the city—a member of the elusive Flotilla—this piece cannot be claimed a lamentation on the capital, but commentary on the strength of humanity. For its beauty and purpose, Weiss was genuinely enthused and delightedly took in the once-in-a-lifetime sight before her.

Yet this trip was not entirely about the heiress, and she knew this. For just one minute longer, she appraised the composition before turning to her partner with an elated smirk. "So," Weiss began, "what do you think? Do you see the disparity in quality between this work and the last?"

"Yeah, I, um…" Ruby hummed in frustration before assuming her best contemplative pose: arms crossed with one hand resting under her chin. "Yeah," she eventually struggled, "I guess it's pretty, but I'm not sure I like it. I don't know."

Frustration was not the cause of the heiress' disappearing smirk. Rather, it was obvious concern which managed to snake its way into her tone. "Why?" She was baffled. "It's beautifully done. Is there something wrong with the subject or the style?"

"No, no! It's just…" The young girl seemed to try for something else to say, but simply concluded with a disappointed sigh. "I'm sorry, Weiss. I guess I just don't get it. I mean, I like looking at these pictures and all, but I'm pretty sure I'm missing something. The way you look at them is like there's something going on behind it all—like a movie or something. But whenever I look at them, I just see pictures. Sure, I can make up stories for them, but I'm not good enough to make stories up for all of them. Like, this? I just see a sandstorm coming for a castle. It looks nice and it's a cool thought, but I think I'm missing something."

Ruby's shoulders slumped and she frowned. "I'm sorry, Weiss. I've been leading you on like I know what's happening, and all that's done is make me feel dumb."

This was a disconcerting thought. Did Ruby feel as though she was obligated to enjoy everything? It certainly seemed to be the case with her past insistence of warmth despite her shivering and her promise that her cloak would not be a problem. It seemed as though the young girl was trying to keep her supposedly bothersome tendencies in check when the act was entirely unnecessary. She was trying to force her own enjoyment for Weiss' sake.

Being that Weiss was in a comfortable locale and had been previously assisted by the young girl, a plan of returned aid came naturally to her. "Truthfully, you're faring better than I did when I began studying art."

"Weiss, you don't have to say stuff like that."

"No, it's true," the heiress admitted. "They just seemed like pictures to me, too. I didn't want to stand around and look at them all day when I had other things to do, but once you get an eye for the pieces, simply looking at pictures becomes relaxing in a way."

Ruby seemed unconvinced with her gaze still locked onto the floor. Weiss took a calming breath and motioned for her partner's attention. "Look," she said. "Do you see that town? That's the lost city of Almas Al-Shams, the capital of Vacuo over a thousand years ago. And that?" She pointed to the cloud of dust. "That was the Grimm that destroyed it."

"The…Grimm? How? That just looks like a sandstorm."

Weiss smiled. Progress was being made. "Well, it does seem that way, and it certainly did to the people of Vacuo, but reports after the fact tell of an abnormally large swarm of Grimm."

"What kind of Grimm can kick up a storm like that?"

"I'm not sure. I'd imagine there were species now extinct involved, but whatever the case, they must have been either large enough or numerous enough to shroud themselves in a cloud of dust. This could have been the Grimm's plan, this storm, because the people of Almas only prepared for a sandstorm. Once the Grimm reached the walls, though, there was nothing the people could do, and the city was leveled in an hour."

"An hour!"

The heiress nodded. "Almas is considered to be among the greatest losses to the Grimm. It made battles like those at Mountain Glenn and Termi in Mistral seem like friendly scrimmages. And with the city of Almas went the wealth that Vacuo had, and thus _The_ _Fall of Vacuo_."

Weiss looked over to her partner, hoping that her expression would continue to improve. What she found was a small smile that could not match her previous grins, yet this smile was somehow more enthused in a calmer, more intense way. Perhaps she could find enjoyment in the arts, perhaps not, but this small smile meant that Ruby, on some level, understood that her façade of appreciation and enthusiasm was unnecessary for Weiss' sake. Weiss returned her gaze to the painting, smiling now with a renewed sense of purpose: Ruby's comfort. "And that's only where it begins to get interesting."

"But I thought the city was destroyed?"

"It was, but people survived—not many, mind you, but there were a few. I don't know how they survived because the ones who keep the story remain secretive about it, but there were a few who went undetected by the Grimm amid the ruins of the city." Ruby hummed, somewhat assured, somewhat interested. "When Almas was destroyed, so was its government. It was the capital city, after all."

"So, the king was killed?"

Weiss shook her head. "I don't think Vacuo has ever had a king. The people that survived were a mix of warriors, farmers, artisans, and a few legal experts. Eventually, they'd come to work together and visit the other townships. The people that survived—as well as a few from the other towns—grew to become the governing body of the continent."

"So, they had a parliament?"

"Not exactly. Now they do, but back then, Vacuo depended on this group. They were a sort of oligarchy that brought in the kingdom's greatest speakers, artists, and general innovators as they roamed around the continent, keeping away from Grimm activity and searching for the next location of a new Almas. Because of their search, they called themselves the Al-Shams Flotilla."

"And are they still around? I mean, did they find New Almas?"

"I don't know. People say they still exist and keep contact with Vacuo's parliament, but others say they simply walked into the desert and never returned."

"What do you think happened?"

Weiss raised an eyebrow. "Me?"

"Yeah, you!" Ruby grinned. "You know a lot about this kind of stuff, so you've gotta have some idea of what happened."

The heiress paused. "I'm…not sure. My father speaks about them sometimes, usually as though they've all died off, but I think that's him trying to protect himself." She considered her options. She could either tell Ruby the likely truth or spin a tale that would entertain her and keep the mood light. In the end, Weiss could not bring herself to tell anything but a hopeful story. "But I believe they are still around, roaming the deserts and keeping the government in line." Ruby perked up at this, her eyes widening in excitement as she focused entirely upon her partner. "After all, they did play a rather large role in the reconstruction of Vacuo and the defense against the second major Grimm invasion."

From here, Weiss would explain briefly the second rise and fall of the kingdom (a much more expected, textbook matter it should be assured) and Ruby would listen with zeal. This was not caused by her affinity for history which she did not have, but by her affinity for myths, tales, and legends. Of course, this topic would be completed relatively soon after and the two would move to the next painting and the ones subsequent to that all while conversing pleasantly. She would ask questions and Weiss would answer and further stories were told about the histories which Weiss held dear.

This was the sort of connection the heiress desired—this harmless intimacy between two individuals focused on the same goal. She felt warm for once, but not because of that warm sensation Ruby gave off. No, it was happiness and Weiss was sure of this. She was happy beside Ruby. Now she wanted to know why this was. As she walked the hall with her partner, discussing the works simultaneously, Weiss allowed herself to sink away into her own thoughts, giving Ruby enough attention to keep her happy and allocating enough effort toward coming to the right conclusion.

She was comfortable here—not the museum, but the distance between herself and Ruby. They could stand close to each other's side and were able to have discussions about the paintings, but there was no reason to move closer or further away. As it was, that warm sensation persisted regardless of the distance, so long as they remained in conversation. Ruby was not trying to lighten the mood, but instead the heiress, and Weiss was not attempting to rationalize the situation for her favor like the young girl was.

Her mother had been right; life wasn't about Weiss. The error in Otto and, to an extent, Winter's ways was that they were distant without consideration. If one were to rule on a world stage, it should be assumed that this person might possess some charismatic ability no matter how militaristic the goals may be. In walking beside Ruby today, Weiss understood the need for personability and for interacting with the general populace which Ruby represented. Leadership is not about the progressive intentions of the leader, but about the drive for the continued wellbeing of those who follow. Ruby had shown her this without knowing it herself. Now it was Weiss' turn to prove her requisite leadership abilities by informing her partner about a field previously unknown and uncomfortable to her.

Yet this maternal advice was not the only truth proven evident on this day. Ruby had been correct in stating that communication was key to the growth of a friendship. The heiress remembered their short conversation in the limousine on the way to this museum and Ruby's suggestion of spending more time together. It was now clear that her intent of having someone to talk to (having someone to be a friend to) was so that Weiss could become more conversational. This had worked, somewhat, if the heiress was to be honest, but this "breaking out of her shell" could not have been the only motive behind Ruby's words.

She had stated her desire to hear Weiss' thoughts and opinions, and in doing so, she was stating that she wished for Weiss to open up to her. Ruby had seemingly made it a point to initiate moments where opinions were required and reactions were unavoidable. For instance, her hug was a means of not only proving to Weiss that her doubts were unfounded, but proving that there was a person beneath the cold veneer. This hug and all the conversations they had had up until this point (dating back to their first day at the academy) were purposed to both learn about the heiress and make her feel welcome.

This was the point of the invitation to the sisters' home, Weiss thought. Perhaps Ruby's intent was friendship, but more than likely it was to make the heiress feel accepted for once in her life. Of course, Ruby would not be aware of this perennial absence, but her attention was certainly restorative in small yet noticeable ways. By being invited to spend the summer and avoid Kaiser Island, Weiss was able to remain active with others around her, and by being challenged to conversation, she was somehow able to be calmed.

There was some connection shared between the two that no longer applied to the bond of partnership. Weiss would be quick to label this as friendship, but now, after considering her mother's advice, Ruby's insistence, and the young girl's mannerisms during this day, she was unsure. Though Ruby spoke about the desire to have someone to speak to about problems as any friend should, this was not her intent, Weiss believed.

Ruby was a child. As such, she was impressionable. Her main role model in life was Yang who now seemed contented in her relationship with Blake. Because Yang was no longer able to supply the young girl with the same amount of emotional support (being that it was now divided between Ruby and Blake), Ruby looked to another. Yet this shift would not simply be a changed confidante but a change in focus. While Ruby had attempted to impress the heiress during the past semesters, her attempts could not be claimed to be as focused as they were now with the two making a promise to spend more time with each other. With the shift in attention from Yang to Weiss, a shift in emotion came naturally and was likely spurred by her impressionability.

Perhaps she believed that by mimicking her sister's actions, she could yield similar results to assisting Blake, thus the declaration that the girl in red would try to make Weiss speak more openly about herself. By assuring Weiss that conversation was welcomed and by hugging her when such an action proved beneficial, Ruby could have been attempting to mend the gap between them in the only way she knew how: by being friendly. However, friendship, Weiss assumed, was not Ruby's intent. Ultimately, the child would be impressed by her sister's relationship and want one of her own.

This unfounded revelation did not shock the heiress, but it did concern her. After all, this motive could have perhaps altered the purpose behind the hug, the assurances of friendship, and the stumbling over an explanation for the romantic piece in the prior exhibit. It was now assumed that Ruby desired a relationship with the heiress but lacked the means of expressing it or even acknowledging it. For a moment, Weiss' expression faltered during an explanation, but she quickly recovered and concealed this tell. It was not fact yet—nor would it likely ever be—but Weiss believed Ruby was attracted to her and that their friendship would never simply be a friendship.

But relationships between hunters and huntresses were inadvisable. Furthermore, paralyzing friendship was even understood to be detrimental, leaving only understanding camaraderie for anyone who wished to have an ally during a skirmish. However, the stigma placed on friendship had been disproven and it was not illogical to think that the same could happen to the stigma placed on romantic relationships. Though such bonds could hinder the team professionally, the team was still comprised of people with individual personalities. As Weiss recently learned, even the coldest and most individualistic of persons could falter and depend upon another for comfort. Certainly conversation, as Ruby suggested, could help, but solace in the arms of another—peace within a fortunate hug—had effects which could not go unaddressed.

Regardless of Weiss' thoughts on the idea, a romantic relationship was what Ruby desired. And what Ruby desired, as previously concluded, was to be placed before what Weiss desired. Unfortunately, this matter would eventually be addressed by the two, depending on either Weiss' comprehension of the situation or Ruby's awareness of her own desires. Now this situation saw the matter being addressed, if only internally from Weiss' perspective.

To understand the problem better, Weiss posed herself a simple question: Is a relationship possible?

Yes. It was possible, but incredibly unlikely.

Why was a relationship unlikely?

There were a myriad of reasons with the chief two being Weiss' father's probable disapproval and Ruby's…In actuality, the situation concerned only Ruby and Weiss. As such, the reason for this unlikeliness was due to Weiss being afraid—uncertain would be a better descriptor, but she was hesitant in this case when she otherwise would not be.

Why was she uncertain?

She was naturally impersonal. She was a narcissist who knew this fact but was paranoid of change. The largest possible change that could occur within Weiss' life would be the inclusion of a romantic relationship, being that her past had been devoid of both contact with others and emotion altogether. If she were to let Ruby in, this would be a drastic change in her life from which there would be no recovery.

Was a relationship inherently detrimental?

No. In most studied cases, they proved beneficial.

If relationships proved beneficial, why was she adamant about denying the possibility?

As stated before, she was paranoid of change.

What detriments would this hypothetical change incur?

Weiss did not know specifically, but she was certain her father would want control over his family's lineage and would denounce whomever she might choose as a partner, regardless of sex.

What benefits would this hypothetical change bring?

Again, Weiss did not know. She assumed that something positive would happen—many positive things, actually—but she was unsure of what they would be.

Was a romantic relationship possible with anyone?

Yes. It was possible, but unlikely.

If in the case that a relationship were to occur and this event was bound to happen, was Ruby a suitable candidate?

Weiss paused. After all this time, she had only thought of her own reaction to a relationship, Ruby's desire for one, and the possibility of one existing. However, she had not given thought to her partner directly. She had considered only the possibility of a relationship between them, not its probable quality.

Though she was expected to eventually find a man with whom children could be raised, Weiss saw no difference between a relationship with a man and a relationship with a woman. In her most fundamental thoughts, Weiss would accept any form of affection which would allow her to be herself. The number of people who did not despise or diffidently revere the Schnee name was very low, and the additional qualification of lacking the emotionally detached personality inherent to her father's society made this number even more sparse among the people she knew. And among them, there were even fewer who could possibly care about her. Ruby was kind and seemed to have no interest in the Schnee standing. Of course, there must be others in the world who held similar qualities, but none existed within the sphere of people known by the heiress. As such, Ruby seemed a tentatively logical candidate for a romantic relationship.

But she was a child! Not only was she two years younger than Weiss, Ruby did not understand the intricacies required of society's upper echelons. Aside from her noteworthy combat ability, she was unscathed by the cold of life and had no caution about the ways she spoke and presented herself.

But she was sincere. There were not many people in the world who would be as honest as Ruby was. Surely there would not be any such individuals in the pool of suitors the heiress' father might eventually pull from. And as to her presentation, she was as sincere as her demeanor, and this showed through in her posture, mannerisms, and obvious tells. She was not the most elegant of individuals, having quirks that were flagrantly unsuitable for the upper echelons of society, but she was more presentable than many of the others at the academy and would do well if dressed properly. Weiss could not identify any physical attraction to the young girl, but she understood the possibility of it developing.

This only covered Ruby's purpose amongst the hostile crowd that frequented Glatteis Manor. The hypothetical interactions between only herself and the heiress were even more alarming. Weiss had already seen the tenderness of character purportedly desirable in a romantic relationship and knew that if she were to partake in the cause, she would have no way of matching the care given by Ruby. It would likely be beneficial to openly admit emotions and discuss subjects freely without the possibility of disassociation, but it was the fear that Weiss' own attention would not be sufficient that kept her from thinking this relationship feasible.

From this latter thought, it is to say that Weiss had already come to a conclusion for a relationship. To avoid confusion, it should be expressed that Weiss was willing to partake in a relationship with Ruby (not enthused, not anticipating) if only to return the kindness the young girl had shown through her various means and to experience a side of life which she had, up until this point, a limited understanding of. This thought did not make her blush or alter her expression in any way because the thought was purely a contingency to her. She did not expect the relationship to occur nor did she expect Ruby to muster the courage to act upon her desires, but Weiss was prepared to experiment with the matter if the occasion ever presented itself.

However, it is not to say that Weiss was certain about all matters pertaining to her interactions with Ruby. Unfortunately, the problems she now faced could not be addressed with her own knowledge and experiences, being that her perspective would have rooted the issues out already if she had the proper information. But due to the recent advisement from the source of her uncertainty, Weiss knew that conversation with another would be the ideal method of finding her answers. Studying and research, she understood, would be impractical for person-to-person interactions, thus requiring another person to act as reference material and an opposition to inquisition. In this respect, Ruby would not be suitable for obvious reasons. Yang was…liable to take offense. Blake might work if the heiress could find an opportunity to get the Faunus away from the blonde for a moment.

Weiss made her decision. At the earliest possible convenience, she would speak to Blake about a potential relationship with Ruby. Of course, such a topic would require tactful ambiguity and supposition with which the subject could be kept vague enough to stay obscured yet be discussed to the effect that answers could be gleaned.

For the moment, however, Weiss would return her complete attention to Ruby as they neared the end of their tour. The young girl no longer held a confused expression, but a wide smile as she continually nodded to Weiss' speech. She did not entirely grasp the concepts being described, but this was to be expected. Regardless, she seemed to enjoy herself and had asked questions about each painting which Weiss gladly answered. There were only two paintings left before they could exit into the secondary vestibule whereupon they might depart from the museum and find a late lunch of Ruby's choice.

"So, what you're saying is you don't have a problem with this Fletcher guy? Or you do?" Ruby was now referring to the previous juxtaposition of paintings in the hall and the vastly disparate artists who composed them. On one side, there had been the prolific painter, Edmund, whose work in allegory has yet to be completely deciphered by the rather large circle of critics devoted solely to his works. A few of his pieces were hung in this wondrous hall and were cryptic even to the self-assured heiress. Yet across from his previous painting was the work of a notably drab artist by the name of Fletcher.

"It's not that I have a problem with Fletcher, it's just that there could have been a better choice of artist to place beside Edmund."

"I mean, it looked nice! There had to be something to it, right?"

Weiss sighed. "He certainly gives the impression. Still, the curator could have done a better job at separating these two pieces. When they're placed together, it just seems…wrong. It seems like the staff here is trying to say the artists are on equal footing."

"Aren't they? Didn't you say that if a painting was hung here, it meant that it was good enough for the world to see, that it deserved to be hung here?"

"True," the heiress conceded. "Still, it's my personal preference against Fletcher. I just don't see the appeal of him."

"Well, if it means anything, I liked the Edward one better."

"Edmund," Weiss corrected.

"Same thing." Ruby grinned at her partner and the heiress could not help but shake her head in mirth at the young girl's irreverence.

With both sporting genuinely happy smiles, the partnership moved from their position in the hall to the first of the final paintings in this exhibit. In her goal to attend this showing, Weiss had desired not only to view the collection held here, but to view a certain painting among the crowd which had eluded her family for centuries. It should not be assumed that Weiss had been distracted by this ulterior objective because she had truthfully enjoyed all of the paintings held here, even those of a less meaningful variety. However, this next piece, another Edmund as it were, was but a legend in the halls of Schnee and Glatteis Manors.

Dubbed _Wake of the King_, this early Sixth Age piece was created to mourn the last Atlas' passing. Among the grey overcast and graveled terrain which characterized the Atlesian mainland was the innumerable black mass of weeping, heartbroken countrymen from all walks of life. The Atlas line was neither a feared one nor a corruptible one, and the thousands who attended this regrettable wake were all paralyzed by grief. There was no commemorative ritual of any kind or any fanciful show of regality, but instead his casket rested upon a tribune from which his eulogy was delivered. The black-clad country stared restlessly at the only sight in the all of the continent which did not appear in a shade of grey or tone of black. Atop this tribune and beside the casket stood the lone figure in white who spoke gently and insistently about his dear friend.

"So, what's this one about?" Ruby asked, her usual chipper tone shining through her speech. "Who died?"

Weiss sighed. "The last King Atlas."

The young girl's eyes widened in revelation. "Oh! You mean the Dust guy your family was meant to protect?"

"Yes and no. He was of the same line, but he was a distant descendant of the first King Atlas—the one who discovered Dust."

"And…the guy in white is a Schnee?"

"By the name of Wolfgang."

Ruby frowned. "I'm sorry, Weiss." This caused the heiress to turn to her partner in confusion. "That had to hurt someone in your family—you know, losing the person you're supposed to protect. I can't imagine what it's like for him, but everyone there looks so sad. And even though I can't see him from this far away, the guy giving the speech looks like he's having a rough time. I know I'd be if I had to speak for my…" This sentence trailed off.

"Ruby," Weiss assured, "this is not intended to be a sad piece." The girl in red looked to her, surprised. "Of course, the event is sad, but the painting is not. Edmund was praising King Atlas by showing how many people cared for him. His death was regrettable, but the results of it made the kingdoms what they are today. He was the last monarch of Atlas—and a good one at that—but after his passing, he intended to make my ancestor king. That's why he's painted in white. He didn't take the position, and this decision paved the way for the other kingdoms that looked to the Atlas line as a benchmark for government."

"So, he was saying it was good that Atlas died?"

The heiress shook her head. "No one is that heartless, Ruby."

"Oh. Sorry."

"Don't be. It's a natural reaction to have to this sort of painting—or any art form, really."

There was a long, considerate pause where Weiss waited for her partner to continue and where Ruby simply regarded the dark painting. In this time, Weiss found herself uncharacteristically unnerved as she waited for her partner's approval. It was a strange thought that she caught herself thinking, but she believed it to be a point of pride if she could turn Ruby from uncertain about these paintings to even mildly intrigued. The young girl did not seem distressed by the work nor mystified by its worth, but she did hold a perplexed expression as she surveyed each and every part of it. Eventually, she would drawl, "Okay, I think I get it."

"Thoughts?" bade Weiss.

"I think…I think it's like the painter's celebrating Atlas' life—kinda like people do at a funeral. It's sort of like the eulogy that your ancestor's giving. He's saying that Atlas gave a lot of people hope and that he was a good king or something like that and that the people will be sad without him. But he's also saying that what he did during his life won't be forgotten because his friends are there. And if this was made after that change you talked about happened, then this could mean that the painter's also saying that this was the moment that change came from. So, it's like 'out with the old, in with the new,' except a nicer version of that."

Weiss smiled proudly. "Very astute. I'll make an art critic out of you yet."

Ruby gave a playfully fake shudder as she recoiled. "Nah, I think I'm good. I mean, art's nice and all, but it's just not my thing." She then shook off her disinterested expression and gave her partner a grin that outshined any that Weiss could give. "What about you, though? What do you think?"

"I think," Weiss said, "that you covered everything there was to say about the painting."

"What? No, that can't be it. You're Weiss! You always have something to nitpick about!"

The heiress shook her head, taking no offense at the remark. "That may be true, but anything else I could say would be unnecessary. You've covered just about everything there is to say about this painting."

"Well, why did you want to see it so bad, then?"

The girl in white shrugged. "Aside from it belonging to this exhibit?" Ruby nodded. "It's the only painting of a Schnee that my father refuses to keep in his collection."

"Wait," Ruby interrupted. "Let me get this straight. Not only does your dad have a weapon collection, he has a painting collection?"

"Among other things."

"A library?"

"An extensive one."

"Antiques collection?"

"Dating back to the First Age."

"Movie collection?"

Winter owned one, but Ruby didn't need to know about her. "He's not one for film."

Ruby laughed. "What doesn't your family have?" Admiration. "Anyways, I'm ready to move onto the next one if you are. But don't rush yourself! We came here for you, after all."

One final look was taken at the painting to remove any possible regret from moving too quickly away from it. Perhaps later in life, Weiss would buy this painting and begin her own collection (if Winter was to inherit their father's collection as she likely would), but for now, she would wish the piece a fond farewell before turning to Ruby and nodding.

Unfortunately, Weiss did not expect the final piece in this exhibit to be yet another romance and was thus caught off guard. The painting was of the knowing gaze shared between two fictional admirers mere inches from one another. It was untitled and unexpected and caused blushes on both partner's parts, halting their conversation immediately. Though it was not as explicitly romantic as the one of the autumnal stroll, the fervor with which the two figures looked to each other was somehow more affecting. This was the sort of care and humanity required of a relationship that Ruby likely desired, and as Weiss turned away from the image, she observed her partner's flaring, unnerved blush.

Suddenly, thoughts of a relationship with Ruby were no longer logical conclusions which one could be confident in, but instead became very real possibilities which alerted the heiress to the fact that she was in over her head. The painting showed emotion which was supposedly required and emotion which she could never hope to have, as frigid as she was. Furthermore, Ruby's reaction was telling of information which Weiss already knew but had not come to understand the consequence of.

Perhaps the young girl had seen her partner's expression and this had been the cause of her own reluctance, but both girls who had previously been in conversation now refused to even look at one another. Ruby knew. Weiss was sure of it. She knew of her emotions and desires, contrary to the heiress' previous understanding. It was doubtful that Ruby would act on them, but it was now evident that Weiss' predicament had been complicated.

However, before she went and made any rash decisions which she knew almost nothing about, Weiss would need to consider her options. Maintaining her unwanted blush, she believed that in order to connect with her partner and be the exact sort of friend the young girl desired, the end must be dating due to Ruby's impression of Yang's happiness. Weiss was reluctant, of course, but she had given her word to cross the divide between them by whatever means proved necessary. It was a regrettable fact that she somewhat wished to take back, but in order to atone for her prior aggressions, she would have to put Ruby before herself. Though such an action would not be characteristic of any Schnee, let alone this particular heiress, Weiss knew for a fact that she could not assume life was about herself. Ruby deserved better than how she was currently treated. Because of this, Weiss' blush flared as she decided to speak to Blake about the prospect, no, the probability of dating.

With this decision made, she hesitantly turned to her partner and saw the effects of panicked introspection. Ruby's brow was knitted in confusion, her eyes were trained on the picture but on a point far, far away, and her face glowed a brilliant shade of red which told Weiss everything she needed to know. Ruby was scared as well, scared of the inevitable change they were both to undergo. If she were to deny the offer of dating, Weiss would be content with this, but were she to accept, they would both find an unpaved path which they would have to learn together.

It should not be said that Weiss was fond of her partner in the way which dating supposedly required, but she acknowledged that Ruby was a pure, kind soul. She had given her word and was prepared to do whatever it took to make amends. Dating was but a consequence to her actions, and if the situation called for it, the heiress would embark upon a journey both harrowing and potentially ruinous to her reputation.

Perhaps it was curiosity as to what Ruby was thinking (a virulent, uncharacteristic concept) or perhaps it was simple small talk, but Weiss eventually asked, "Do you have any thoughts on this piece?"

"N-no! Why do you ask?" Ruby winced at her own words, knowing that she had given away her intentions.

Weiss cleared her throat, removing any trace of nervousness from her own speech. "No reason," she said. "It just seemed a common courtesy after all of the other paintings we talked about."

"Yeah, okay." Ruby wrung her hands nervously as she stared at the painting again. "I guess…I guess I like it…a bit."

"Is there anything in particular you like about it?"

The young girl lowered her gaze and shook her head. "I just like it."

She was being obstinate; she had something to hide when it was already known. Weiss sighed. "Would you like me to leave this matter alone?"

The heiress was met with pleading, puppy-dog silver eyes which communicated wordlessly the answer to her question. Still, Ruby would squeak out her answer of "Could you?" and Weiss could not help but accept. Though she was hesitant to admit any affection for her partner, Weiss was moved by her innocence. At this acceptance, Ruby's expression turned to one of a small thankful smile which was met with a concerned, thoughtful gaze. At this, the two turned from the chilling painting and to their exit.

This marked the end of their tour. With trepid thoughts and growing smile, the two of white and red left the hall which had affected them so. The latter was apparently jubilant, caring not for her prior demonstrative emotions, while the former worried about their future—perhaps together. They would depart from the anticipated collection into the vestibule that looked similar to the entrance they had arrived upon. The hour, as proven by a clock above the exit, struck four and the violent weather seemed to have calmed and entirely dissipated. Perhaps they could find a light lunch somewhere and Ruby could chose this fare, but before that moment, they would exit the museum and step out into the sunny, breezy air that was expected of a summer day in Vale.

They would descend from this institution and down the grand flight of stairs into the midday commute within the cobbled court enclosed amid lines of stores which drolly paled in magnificence to the large marble building behind them. Weiss would continue to frown and Ruby to beam as they reached the foot of the case. Unfortunately (and later fortunately), as they prepared to embark upon their next endeavor, the partnership was interrupted by two familiar figures now coincidentally occupying the same space within the vast city.

Yang merrily marched over to where the two stood, waving one arm excitedly and resting the other atop Blake's shoulders. It was apparent that they had gone on yet another date and this had proven as successful as those previous. Seeing their happiness—Blake's unabashed smile—made Weiss uncomfortable with her future—scared would be the better word. The opposite partnership would near and a conversation would be started, but upon seeing their happiness and having it as a benchmark for what regular jubilation should look like, Weiss found her own partner's expression unsettling.

Ruby was hiding something with her overly enthused grin—pain, most likely, spurred by indecision and fear of her own. It was obvious now that she desired a romantic relationship, and seeing her sister arrive cheerily with Blake nearby only exacerbated the flaw in the young girl's façade. This façade surprised Weiss. She thought that Ruby had been happy with the end of their tour, and as such, the heiress' frown deepened.

Fortunately, Yang noticed her sister's expression and asked if anything was wrong, receiving a panicked answer in the negative. To all girls around her, Ruby's distress was now apparent and Weiss took it to heart. It was at this moment that she turned to Blake and spoke to her as Yang attempted to convince Ruby to communicate in kind. The result of these happenings was the separation of the four into two groups that would wander the city for Ruby's sake. Yang and her sister would sort out what had troubled Ruby since the final painting while Blake and Weiss would go somewhere else.

It had been under the guise of running an errand that Weiss convinced Blake to walk with her and eventually discuss the hypothetical of a relationship with Ruby.

Yet during this conversation which has been documented elsewhere, Weiss could not help but think of Ruby. She had tried to not be a bother, she had tried to be a friend, she had tried everything in her power to get Weiss' attention, and in the end, Ruby had tried to hide her emotions from the girl who unwittingly cared for her. It was concerning. Whatever Weiss had done to cause this expression, Ruby deserved better. She had given advice, assurance, and affection when she was advised against by the frigid heiress. She had not been a bother, she had been an incredible friend, and she had been the only person willing to hug Weiss in too long a time. And still, Weiss could not care enough to see the obvious signs of distress in her concealment. There was likely nothing she could have done, but the act of ignorance by the heiress was troubling in the extreme. Throughout the conversation with Blake over the probability of a relationship with Ruby, Weiss would gather her conviction and vow again to cross the divide.

* * *

><p>"Then that will be a sacrifice I must be willing to make."<p>

This had been the point of decision made during Weiss' conversation with Blake. Ruby was right after all; conversation did help. It should be said that this quote meant exactly what it appears to mean: Weiss was now willing to take the step away from the safety of friendship and into the perilous pit of romance. But this would take time. Weiss would need to plan and, admittedly, acquire the proper confidence to bring such a request to her partner. It would not be a simple matter like she once thought, but after her conversation with Blake, Weiss was certain that this decision could benefit both parties involved.

Now she and the girl who would hopefully (and it is to say that Weiss used this word in an attempt to bolster her own confidence) become her girlfriend—a title that sent a chill down the heiress' spine—sat in total, uncomfortable silence that simply could not be broken by either hesitant individual. They had decided to return to her house early rather than find a lunch somewhere. Weiss was in agreement with this plan, but she could not help but think that this sudden desire to return home was so that the young girl could avoid contact with her. The heiress doubted this avoidance was out of spite or revulsion, but out of fear. Regardless, the avoidance unarguably existed because whenever she happened to glance toward her partner, Ruby quickly turned her eyes away to avoid any possible interaction. Furthermore, the young girl had found the carafe again and had begun to ardently drink the water within.

Though they sat opposite each other in the limousine, they were unarguably closer now. For better or worse, Ruby had drawn out Weiss' conversational side and had sparked discussion over the paintings in the exhibit. Weiss had had fun—honest fun—within the halls of the museum with her partner. The "childish" descriptor could now be usurped by "innocent" or even "joyful."

Somehow, Weiss had come upon a low-level affection for the young girl during her dialogue with her Faunus teammate. Ruby, of course, was kind and endearing, but part of Weiss wanted this to herself, partly as validation to her own companionless existence but so too to ensure that Ruby's affection could be appropriately rewarded in a way neither monetary nor momentary. She could not say this was an attraction or infatuation because these would be overzealous, but instead she felt a fascination which had the definite potential to blossom into something of the overzealous sort. She saw Ruby as a challenge which would hopefully change the distant Schnee into someone more personable and fit to interact with others on the world stage. This affection which had the ability to grow did not make the heiress see her partner as any suddenly stunning figure worthy of doting adoration, but it was certainly enough to motivate her into taking action.

In communicating with Blake, pertinent variables had been addressed which Weiss would account for. Firstly and most importantly, Ruby was still a minor and Weiss was at the legal age. Though it was still socially acceptable for two individuals of their ages to date one another, there were potential caveats which would entirely discredit the Schnee name if Weiss were indicted for any resulting crime. But such actions were never her intent at all; the thought was merely to appease Yang's probable anxiety over such a relationship.

And it was the blonde herself who had been the second variable reminded of Weiss. It was doubtful Yang would approve of the relationship. She did not like Weiss and Weiss honestly did not like her. There was no hate shared between them, simply reservations, but these reservations could be enough to spark a fiery reaction on Yang's part if Ruby was wronged. Blake had noted Weiss' skill with a sword but had commented (rather biasedly if Weiss was to remark) that it would be an insufficient defense against an enraged Yang. If she were to use her regular fighting style when calmed, Yang could be beaten by the heiress fairly easily, but upon surpassing the threshold that separated the blonde's control over her semblance from a lack of control, such confidence was thrown out the window.

But this is to assume there would be reason to quarrel with the blonde. Surely Yang would place her sister's happiness over her own reservations. Weiss could understand discomfort and disapproval, but she had been trained in diplomacy and was certain that any such event could be mollified. Her goal was not conquest—the adulteration of a pure soul—as Yang likely feared, but instead mutuality, the quality of Weiss reciprocating Ruby's affection justly. Surely Yang would understand this. Weiss meant only to return Ruby's kindness in the way the young girl desired and, frankly, deserved.

There were other variables (Yang's upcoming birthday, the personal assistants' knowledge, Weiss' pitiful lack of knowledge of how to go about a relationship of any sort), but in the immediate future, there was but a singular problem: when would the relationship begin?

Ideally, the answer would be "soon" so that Weiss could get the beginning over with and begin to repay her debt to Ruby, but she knew that Yang would likely keep this from happening. Civil or not, Yang could get in the way of things very easily, and for this, Weiss knew that the blonde's involvement with the proposition would be absolute zero. Furthermore, confidence would need to be gained on the heiress' part and Ruby would need to return to normality so that the proposition could have the desired effect. Finally, Weiss needed to contemplate how to ask Ruby out. The result of these meant that the proposition would not occur today and probably not tomorrow. Perhaps in a few days, a week, or a month this could happen, but until Weiss had her opportunity to distract Yang, find Ruby in a normal state, and have the confidence herself to ask the question, this plan could not be completed.

However, the plan would be completed, not for Weiss' sake but for Ruby's. And consequent to this conviction, an idea came to the heiress' mind which would set events in motion to allow her proposition. Ruby watched out of the corner of her eye as Weiss retrieved her personal scroll and opened the messaging program. The heiress had been confident in her strategy and had typed out a message to be sent which would affect her entire team no matter what the result of her proposition was. But as she proofread the message once over, she paused.

Perhaps she was wrong in asking Ruby out. Perhaps she was blinded by the desires to be a normal human being and interact with another person. Perhaps what she thought was an innocuous action among childhood friends could shatter the legacy of a prominent house. There were effects and variables that not even Weiss could predict and she was aware of this fact. She could be in the wrong, but Ruby was so…so different. Weiss was scared, but she knew that this difference could only be an adventure with such a kind, forgiving girl—an adventure only dreamed about when she was trapped on Kaiser Island. She hated herself for this decision and she internally apologized to the centuries of ancestors before her as she decided that she not only planned for a relationship with the young girl, she wanted it.

She wanted that adventurous, joyful spirit to accompany her down the muddled path ahead and she wanted her own affection to blossom in ways uncharacteristic for a Schnee. She wanted to change, to see a world outside of Atlas and to be in the arms of another once again. She wanted to be open with her emotions like she was so long ago and to be the person she was conditioned not to be. She wanted to smile like Blake could smile and laugh like Blake could laugh now. But she wanted all of this for Ruby, too. Weiss wanted to be a better person and be able to reciprocate the care that Ruby had shared. She wanted to be the best partner she could be and live up to her word of crossing the divide between them. Weiss nodded to herself and knew that it was not simply cold, impersonal logic that guided this decision, but a fervent desire of her heart.

She returned to the scroll and read through the message again. Once she was certain that everything was in order, Weiss silently apologized to Blake and sent the message. And it was in this moment that Weiss knew there was no turning back.

"Weiss?" Ruby suddenly asked.

The heiress was surprised but responded nonetheless. "Yes?"

"I'm sorry about what happened in the museum. I didn't mean to ruin the whole thing at the end there."

"There's nothing to apologize about. You did nothing wrong."

"No, I did. You asked me what I thought about that last painting and I didn't give you a straight answer. Actually, I didn't really give you an answer at all; I just kinda ignored you. I feel really bad about that."

"Ruby, you did give an answer. You said you liked it. That's a fair enough answer for me." Weiss paused and looked to the adamant penitence in her partner's expression. "Ruby, what did Yang say to you?"

The young girl shook her head. "Nothing," she assured truthfully. "She didn't really get much of a chance to say anything. I just kinda…talked the whole time, figured stuff out. It really helped." She sighed.

"Helped you with what?"

"Figure stuff out."

Weiss frowned. "I take it you don't want to talk about it?"

"Not really," Ruby mumbled. "It's just…I'm sorry about what happened in the museum."

"Well, I accept your apology. But you do know it's unnecessary, right?"

There was a long silence where Ruby looked to will herself into conversation. Weiss simply stared at her, watchful for any signs of distress. The young girl would eventually sigh again, nod to herself, and meet her partner with another masking smile, this one stronger than the last.

"Weiss, I liked that last painting, I really did. I almost couldn't look at it because I liked it so much, but I did." Her smile was tested. "It reminded me of…Yang and Blake. You saw them in the kitchen earlier, right? Well, I was there when Blake woke up. The way they looked at each other…it was like they knew something secret—it was kinda like how you looked at the paintings. I mean I like my sister and Blake as it is, but seeing them that way, I couldn't help but be happy for some reason. It wasn't like Blake just woke up and walked into the kitchen; it was like she found Yang—like they were lost for years and found each other again. Weiss…the way they looked at each other was something I don't completely understand. But I'd like to.

"If I can learn something about art, maybe I can learn something about…" She shook her head. "Anyways, I liked the painting. It reminded me of their happiness. Like, what they have was part of the plan of becoming a huntress. You know, fight some monsters, save the world, fall in love—that whole thing. And I know it's probably not all going to happen. I know that by going to Beacon, I'm pretty much guaranteed to go out on adventures by myself that probably won't mean much in the end and die young, but I can hope. I'm not saying that you have to do anything or I have to do anything, I'm just saying that I liked that painting. It probably means something more than I understand, but I got hope from it."

The false smile held by the young girl shifted into one more sincere, more confident. "I'm sorry about how that ended at the museum. I know you're going to say I don't need to apologize, but I want to. It's not about making sure you aren't mad or anything—I know you're not. I just want to make sure everything's all right. You're…" she hesitated, "a great friend, Weiss, even if you don't believe it yet. Thanks for letting me come with you."

Weiss smiled. "Thanks for coming with me."

Ruby was lying. Truly there was no turning back now.

* * *

><p>And there we have the beginning of a wonderfully uncertain relationship. Of course, their relationship hasn't actually begun yet, but it will soon enough. This story is not supposed to have as grand a scope as <em>Valence <em>because it's mostly intended to focus on these hesitant two and their blossoming relationship. I'm not giving anything away by saying this, but it will get fluffier and Weiss' imperiousness will lower in direct proportion. Though they might not burn as brightly as Blake and Yang, these two will do well for themselves, I promise.

It should probably be admitted that not _every_ moment concerning Ruby and Weiss' relation in the overarching _Valence_ storyline will be mentioned in this or other chapters of _Edelweiss_. One such event would be conversation between Blake and Weiss which solidified the heiress' conviction. For those who are curious as to what was said, the conversation takes place in middle of _Valence_ chapter nine. However, this conversation is the largest, most important event not included in this narrative. That being said, the only reason why that particular instance is not included is due to its existing elsewhere. It's important, yes, but not important enough to warrant rewriting the approximately 4,000-word scene from a different perspective.

The same logic applies to the smaller matters not included here. These go unreferenced for many reasons, the premier being relative unimportance—the inclusion of the scenes would only hinder the story being told and its removal would not detract from the story in any way. To this end, most of these smaller scenes would be irrelevant and could only be referenced through tangential asides which would undoubtedly make the story drag just to touch briefly on a short conversation Ruby and Weiss had elsewhere. Finally, there has to be some character to the narrator and perspective. Weiss does not strike me as the type of person to willingly reminisce about small, vaguely affectionate gestures done in passing. I promise that you are not missing much at all in terms of White Rose progression if you choose not to read _Valence_. _Edelweiss_ will give all the pertinent information and then some.

Lastly, to any of you who have read _Valence_, now you know why chapter nine ended the way it did. It was part of the plan since the beginning to have Weiss be the instigator of the call, but I just haven't had the means to expose this without making it seem forced. It's scenes like these which make writing this story all the better.

Thank you for reading. The show of support given for the first chapter was simply astounding and honestly humbling. Though I may not express this latter sentiment very well with my excessive pretentiousness, I really am honored that this story is at least worth your attention. Again, I should apologize for the impending wait for the next chapter of this tale. As with last time, I estimate that a month to a month and a half will pass until the next chapter is released due to stories written in tandem. But I can assure that these five chapters will be released and will not be given up on. I sincerely thank you all for the support you give.

Stay safe and stay tuned.


	3. Chapter 3: Acceptance

And so we reach this story's midpoint—its third act, its climax. Although the impending events will not be the grandest this story has to offer or the most moving or exciting, I can assure you that through this chapter, greater things will unfold. Until that time, however, I ask that you bear with me as this story's focus shifts away from appeasement and unification to understanding and, as the title suggests, acceptance.

Before we begin, I would like to make note of one possible misinterpretation that might arise in the coming first section. Without spoiling anything, there will be a point at which you might think that Weiss' emotion and logic seem forced and disingenuous, and I am here to tell you that this assumption would be correct. Shortly thereafter, further description into her thoughts will be given that should shed light on her true feelings. I just ask that you keep in mind the ongoing stressors which afflict Weiss in the first section before assuming that the story is at fault rather than the focal character.

To those who have read _Valence_, this chapter takes place after the events of chapter ten.

With that said, I will allow the story to proceed. Here is chapter three of _Edelweiss_.

* * *

><p>Chapter 3: Acceptance<p>

It was funny in a way, tonight was—rather, this morning, but time had a way of flowing together and losing meaning when pitted against midnight procrastination. Nearly every task set for the day prior had been completed to satisfactory results, and the tasks set for the next day needed only daylight and the requisite completion of that one task which still lingered—the one task which Weiss Schnee procrastinated around. Procrastination had hardly been a habit for the heiress, simply a very occasional happenstance, but even still she could not bring herself to progress from her hesitant stupor. She had promised herself that she would, for lack of a better phrase, ask Ruby out, and now the stage was set for this action. The only remaining force keeping the girl in white from following through was herself.

It was approximately two in the morning by her internal clock's count and the house was all but empty with the exceptions of herself and Ruby. Blake and, more importantly, Yang were now off on the goose chase Weiss had sent them on with her fell message—whether it would be a particularly wild chase was something the other partnership would have to find for themselves. Now she and Ruby were alone and would be for the entirety of three days—actually, two days since Weiss had procrastinated her first away. This left the heiress with the knowledge that if she were to ask Ruby the question she had yet to properly word, then she would have to do it soon.

This thought, among insurmountable others, made sleep an impossibility. Once again would Weiss find herself simply staring at the underside of her partner's bunk, not necessarily thinking but certainly not sleeping. She had been awake in her own bed, desperately trying to find reprieve and reverie, for over four hours by this point and she had been aware of every second. She was tired, fatigued in a physical sense due to the day before and as well mentally exhausted due to her incessant struggle to overcome fear.

It was a yearning look she gave the bunk before her, one of desire and intrigue that naturally came with the need to repay her debt, but as well it was a wide-eyed look of terror at the uncertainty and difference blocking her immediate path. She had promised herself that she would engage in a relationship, no matter the cost. Though a promise to the self may be broken without any consequence but one's own, Weiss was bound by honor to her word. To that end, she had also given Ruby her word, promising the young girl that the divide between them would be crossed and crossed quickly.

And the result of the rationalizations and plans and sacrifices was the understanding that Weiss and Ruby would eventually date, if only for the younger girl's sake.

It had been obvious from their trip to the art exhibit a week ago that the juvenile admiration Ruby had held for her partner was something more, something deeper. She had smiled, she had engaged in uncharted conversation about the paintings and the meanings behind them, and she had shown Weiss a warmth that was indeed friendly but ever so slightly affectionate as well. Though, it is not to say that Ruby did change during this single trip by any means. Perhaps she had harbored these sentiments for some indeterminate time before, but Weiss simply had not taken notice due to her insistence that such a relation could never be. But now she was aware and the view of her childish partner had shifted, perhaps for the better if she was to be honest.

Ruby was not an ideal match for a Schnee, let alone one as knowingly cold as Weiss, but the supporting reasons to this claim should be understood by this point and will be furthermore ignored so that the reasons as to why she would inevitably become a match may take precedence. First and foremost, there was the fact that their personalities were harshly disparate, being that one was meticulous and pessimistic while the other was playful and optimistic. There were similarities, of course, between their chosen careers (at least, for the time being) and their purposes in action, but still Weiss understood the correlation to the age-old assumption that "opposites attract." While this may be true in physical, scientific understandings, she did not feel the effect. Ruby was doubtlessly attracted, judging by her hesitation and care shown in the exhibit, but Weiss was not. She liked her partner well enough as a potential friend and she respected Ruby for her combat ability, but there was almost no romantic attraction held for the younger girl.

However, let us not discount the other rationalized reasons why Ruby would be a match for the heiress, lest we assume that no attraction would ever exist. This would be a laughable thought.

Next, there was the acceptance Ruby had shown her would-be antagonist. The young girl was kind without reason, helpful without instruction, and caring without hesitation. Going back to the notion of disparity, it should be said that Weiss was the opposite of this. Ruby seemed not to care for her own mistakes if an apology was given after the fact and she would continuously support another's wellbeing with no understood benefit to her own. She was like her sister in this way, if much more tolerable. Moreover, Ruby had suffered substantial insults and criticisms of her character that no one should have to endure (this was finally understood following the argument in the town square nearly two weeks ago), but she continued to show spirit and élan nevertheless like no other the heiress had ever seen. She was tireless, energetic, cheerful, and she had invited Weiss into her home for the span of three months despite the insults thrown at her.

At the exhibit, she had hugged her partner, disregarding the hollow threats while somehow calming the heiress' outrage. Weiss shuddered just then. Simply thinking about that instance of personal contact had a way of making her feel uncomfortable. Even now she could feel the ghostly presence of limbs wrapping around her form, holding her close and placing a stabilizing hand upon her back, easing the furious breaths and replacing them with contented sighs. She could still feel Ruby's hair against her face and the young girl's chin upon her shoulder. In a way, this effect was exhilarating—evocative of a loathingly sincere smile and that warm, tingling sensation that always accompanied the young girl's presence. However, the heiress would turn onto her side, forgoing her view of the upper bunk and brushing off the troublesome sensations.

Her mind would continue down its rationalizing path as she stared at the nearby wall, her thoughts having been altered in their course by the sensations of comfort and humanity.

Unlike seemingly everyone else who attended the academy, Ruby was not afraid to express emotion. She was seldom upset in any way, but this was mostly due to her kind attitude infecting whomever she came in contact with and this, in turn, depriving her of any opportunity to become upset. But on the occasions that Weiss would insult her or harass her for even the slightest of mistakes, the young girl would not hesitate to show her displeasure. Despite this, Ruby continued to hide her opinions and show only emotion instead so that she could not become a burden. This can be seen most clearly in her hesitation at the art museum. She had attempted not to be a bother and had also attempted to feign interest so that Weiss would enjoy herself even more. This withdrawnness coupled with her expressiveness left the young girl to be a complete enigma to the heiress, one who could be both tolerable with her former disposition and moving with her latter.

Weiss was not apathetic or emotionless by any means. It could be argued that she was dismissive, indifferent, inexpressive, and most definitely cold, but she did have a heart, regardless of how tainted it was. Otherwise, she would be as tyrannical as her father or as manipulative as her sister. In fact, her emotional side had been evoked by Ruby, and this was perhaps the reason behind her low-level infatuation with her younger partner.

In the final hours of their stroll through the city on that second day of their summer break (prior to the reprehensible argument), Weiss had truly enjoyed herself. This was followed by their tour of the art exhibit and the pleasant conversation they had held over the ambiguity of symbolism—even reflecting upon this fact, Weiss surprised herself that the young girl could hold such a conversation. The girl of red had many flaws, but so did Weiss, and Ruby had excepted her regardless. And because the heiress was bound to equivalent repayment due to perhaps archaic pride, she felt the need to accept Ruby in kind. However, there was no longer a simple necessity about accepting her partner but instead a voluntary desire—a desire which had led Weiss to her decision to date the young girl.

Through this endeavor, she believed, there was a chance at betterment for both parties involved. With Ruby, there was a blatant immaturity which spawned naïveté, but this could be easily rectified either through assistance or time. Furthermore, the young girl was simply not cut out for the upper echelons of society; she could be incredibly awkward in social situations, she had numerous errors in her table manners, and she was not very good at first impressions, but all of these problems could be fixed with instruction.

On the other hand, Weiss had limited knowledge about friendship and held even less of an understanding about how to partake of a relationship like the one she now strived for. Though, if she were to assume that Ruby could help her learn, this would be juvenile romanticism and had no place in her logic. However, she saw Ruby as a goal and as a subject she could learn from by way of observation and experimentation.

Weiss sighed. This conclusion, she realized, was exactly like all of the others which had kept her awake. She was objectifying Ruby, seeing her as but a test subject. Before, the young girl had been all of a rival, a nuisance, a nobody, and a teammate with no friendly connotations. But now she was a friend, and, after the museum, perhaps more than that. She certainly cared about Weiss like another person would, but even then she did not because the young girl was the only force on Remnant that seemed to care for her partner in any way. As such, Weiss valued Ruby above all others, excluding, of course, family and kingdom.

There were multiple variables which tied the heiress to her partner, including her numerous promises and assurances, her outstanding debts which she fully intended to repay, and her admitted stubbornness towards bettering herself as a personable human, but there was something more to this, something—as loathe as she was to admit it—affectionate. She…liked Ruby. She thought Ruby was enjoyable to be around, compared to all the others. Ruby was one of the few people in the heiress' life who had been genuinely kind to her, and it was this kindness that had spurred a smiling reaction. Weiss did not smile at this present moment, but she did understand that in her future, if she could muster the courage to ask and if Ruby would accept, she could see herself smiling more often than never.

This was her current predicament, courage was. She was a proud warrior, a huntress of incomparable lineage, but she was reduced to but a tremulous child at the mere thought of asking Ruby out. She could not think of any way to correctly word the question and she feared what response her impossible inquiry might bring. She had been raised under the assumption that an outside suitor would court her indifferently before she agreed to a marriage that might benefit her family more than herself. Now, however, she was tasked with courting a girl who simply could not be courted—Ruby was flippant, chaste, and would hardly react to traditional advances which Weiss assumed would work. But directness had never been a problem for the heiress nor had procrastination for that matter, but here she was staring at the wall beside her, arguing internally as to if she should ask and how.

"Ruby, would you like to go out?" was the most direct inquiry Weiss could think of that her partner might understand. Of course, she could attempt something subtle such as "Ruby, I believe we have exhausted the terms of friendship and we now find ourselves teetering on a more intimate cliff," utilizing metaphor to thinly veil the discomfort she had about dating while simultaneously explaining to the young girl that more affectionate sentiments existed, even if this was a lie. But perhaps a lie would not do, and for this Weiss could say, "Ruby, I would like to thank you for your friendship. Perhaps a romantic relationship would suffice as repayment."

Then again, these questions were obviously detached from the sentiments which truly existed and as well they were characterized by Weiss' usual aloofness. However, to her credit, Ruby was not a complete dolt. She could see through a few of Weiss' lies and it was doubtless that she would notice the forced nature of these questions. This would lead the young girl into declining because she would fear that Weiss' heart was not entirely invested in the endeavor.

But this was not the case at all. Though the heiress was admittedly nervous about the situation, she was more than curious as to what a relationship would entail. She wanted to date Ruby. Ruby had been the only person in her life who was genuinely kind without need for repayment. She did everything in her power to make the heiress feel welcome and she had succeeded. The young girl deserved better than the detached acquaintanceship they together held during their semesters at the academy; she deserved more than friendship. She deserved any one thing she wished, and if a relationship was what she desired, then Weiss would be happy to oblige.

Weiss' predicament, however, was not her enthusiasm for the concept as much as it was her fear of it. On top of these four hours spent awake and introspectively diligent, she had been awake since four in the morning the day prior to see Blake and Yang off before their early flight, effectively protecting her investment. During that time, her mind had been stuck on planning and refining her intentions. Yet after twenty-two hours, she could not find the answers she had been looking for.

She should just ask her. She should forget every plan that she had made and just ask Ruby out right now. Spontaneity had worked well in the exhibit and calling upon it now might yield similar results.

Weiss shut her eyes in both desperation and protest, blocking out all light and stimuli which might spur her thoughts onward in a vain attempt to force herself into sleep. However, she was met only with the sight of Ruby smiling at her and the sensation of the young girl's arms wrapping tightly around her form. The smile was of joy and the embrace was of care and both were directed at Weiss and for Weiss alone. Ruby cared about her partner immensely and Weiss was simply unable to reciprocate emotion in the same way.

The heiress felt the ghostly limb on her back, rubbing up and down in slow, insistent motions and she saw Ruby's lips turn upwards in something of a laugh or a simper. There were reasons for the young girl's actions, even if she did not know this, herself. The smile was knowing and her touch was reassuring and the warm, tingling sensation of before crawled beneath the heiress' skin, irking her pride, upsetting her sleep, and throwing her out of her bunk in frustration.

Suddenly, Weiss found herself standing beside her bed, fists clenched and an apprehensive scowl crossing her countenance. Her head swam due to fatigue and her ears rung in the bleak silence of the empty house, attuning to the stagnancy of the early hours which were frustrating to a progress-driven mind.

She did not know why she stood or why she could not come to a decision, but now she was alone with only the sound of her partner's soft, carefree breathing. In a way, even this sound was moving. It was so innocent, so innocuous, that Weiss questioned how she could have ever yelled at this girl. To the heiress' chagrin, her mind began to imagine her partner's expression. Ruby did not move nor did she snore; there was an ease about her existence, a flippancy to all of life's problems. She would hold her blanket close, more so as a tactile comfort than as a means of warding off the cold, and she would rest peacefully with a slight, genuinely content smile gracing her features.

The thought of this smile sent a chill up Weiss' spine. She did not want to hurt her partner anymore—that smile was worth protecting. However, in order to properly protect the young girl, Weiss felt the need to ask her out before someone else could. Everyone else was liable to corrupt Ruby while Weiss could only hurt her feelings—a relatively acceptable effect when compared to the adulteration others might bring.

At this, the heiress decided with finality that she wanted to claim Ruby as her own so to ensure that the young girl's smile might exist for years to come and as well to repay the debt which was owed.

Weiss looked to the bed behind her. On the upper bunk lay Ruby, asleep and alone. Yang was gone, a decision had been reached, and Ruby was happy, and though the hour was early, this did not dissuade the heiress from taking action. The question should be asked now, Weiss insisted. The stage had been set and all its players were in place; no longer was it time to procrastinate. It was approximately two in the morning and Weiss began to move.

Up the ladder she went, climbing slowly and carefully in this tired, early hour. With each successive step, she could feel her enthusiasm wane and her fatigue wax, but she would assure herself that victory would be achieved, not only for herself, but as well for her partner. And as she found the final rung and lifted herself onto the upper bunk, she finally saw Ruby.

It was a sight of serenity she was met with, one which gave the heiress perspective on her own confusion. Ruby did not react to Weiss' arrival and instead slept soundly, her eye mask having been pulled down and her form faintly rising and falling with each restful breath. It was strange watching her sleep, but even still Weiss chose to sit at the foot of Ruby's bed, simply taking in the sight of the girl who would hopefully advance from the title of "friend."

Ruby was not an annoyance or a nuisance, she was not a hindrance or awkward; rather, she was a living, breathing person, and somehow the act of watching her immobile form gave Weiss perspective on the cheerful life she had taken for granted. A concerned frown replaced the expected smile of her sleeping partner, but even this was serene. This was a lack of life and emotion—a reflection on who Weiss was, if the heiress were to muse—and, unfortunately, the absence of Ruby's regular personality was disconcerting.

Weiss wanted to see her partner smile because she could not, herself. She wanted to see Ruby smile every day and every hour because this young girl had worked hard and deserved it with her tireless energy and support. She was young, yes, and even more so naïve about the world with her heroic aspirations, but she had been there for Weiss when there were no others to call "friend." This was not love on Weiss' part, simply gratitude, but it was this gratitude which gave her the courage to act upon these uncomfortable desires.

The heiress sighed, closed her eyes, and finally nudged her partner's leg.

It was not a necessarily forceful action and Weiss was not in any rush—if Ruby needed to sleep, then this proposition could wait for some other time—but it was insistent and not a small bit hopeful if she was to be honest. Unfortunately, this timid poke did nothing towards awakening her partner, eliciting her own dissatisfied frown.

However, Weiss was never one to fold to awkwardness. Once more, she shook her partner's leg from above the white comforter and then whispered the young girl's name. This was a more adamant attempt than the last, being that the nudge was actually able to move her partner's leg and her hissed call would surely break through the unconscious of Ruby's mind.

Thankfully, the young girl began to stir, moving her leg away from Weiss' hand which had subconsciously maintained its grip (a fact that did not go unpunished in the heiress' mind). She groaned, shifted her shoulders in a futile attempt to find comfort, and would eventually sigh as she accepted her awakening. Weiss watched with bated breath as the serene form then contorted in early-hour anguish.

It appeared as though the heiress had made a grave mistake in waking her partner, and she began to regret her action immediately. Asking this question at such an early hour was nothing short of absurd—it was juvenile impatience that she had been taught to ignore! However, this sentiment would leave her upon seeing Ruby's changed expression.

Lying on her side, curled towards the wall, the young girl lifted her head and subsequently her mask, and upon seeing Weiss, she smiled. The upset expression from before had left and was replaced with a welcoming, curious look that was still yet tired. Even in this darkness, Weiss could see her partner's sterling orbs shimmer in the faint glow of the moon. If ever there was a sight that could test Weiss' physical attraction to her partner, this would be it, and to say that her usual stoicism was able to deter such frustrating sentiments would be a flagrant lie.

The young girl moved to prop herself up on her arms. "Hey, Weiss," she greeted softly, a slight rasp coarsening her words. "Is it time to wake up already?" She began to rub her eye as she looked to the window. "The sun's not even up yet."

The heiress did not say anything—rather, the heiress could not say anything. She had engaged her partner but now lacked the confidence to follow through with her question. She merely watched Ruby and the slight smile she gave.

"Weiss?" the young girl suddenly yawned, widely and loudly and punctuated this action with an unintentional squeak which sent yet another chill up her partner's spine. "Weiss?" she asked again, her voice now returning to its regular timbre. "Is something wrong? Why are you up so late?"

Weiss sighed. If not now, then when would she ask? The time for procrastination was over; now was the time for characteristic purpose and drive. With a dispassionate frown, the heiress regarded her partner, straightening her posture and saying simply, "I've been thinking and I need to speak with you about it."

"Yeah, okay, um…" Ruby leaned over the side of her bed in order to glance at the room's clock. Upon seeing the time, her eyes widened, but she did not complain, instead looking back to Weiss. "All right. Just give me a second. Let me wake up first." She rubbed her eye again, made a few tired sighs, and eventually moved back so that she could rest against her headboard. "Okay, Weiss. I'm ready. What's up?"

Weiss sighed again. "Ruby, there's something I need to ask you, something I'd imagine will be uncomfortable for the both of us. And, unfortunately, I do not believe this question can wait much longer. I've been ruminating on it for hours now and I think I've reached my limit. I just…" She shook her head. "It may seem wrong, Ruby. It may seem out-of-character. However…this is a question that needs to be asked for both our sakes."

"It's not a math problem, is it?" Ruby groaned. "I said I'd help you with your division, but I didn't mean it like that."

This was humorous, Weiss would admit, but now was not the time to smile. "No, it's…"

Unfortunately, she did not know where to go from there. This was simply a tangential introduction, something to soften the impact of the impending question, but it lacked the necessary directness. In order to properly begin this relationship which Ruby deserved, Weiss was required to be forthright with her emotions. However, this was something she had never done before, and as such, she was at an impasse. Yet Ruby's comment about a potential math problem still lingered and begged a smile from the heiress. Furthermore, she had promised a softer expression and understood that Ruby reacted well to positivity. For this, the heiress steeled her nerves and brought her expression to a smile.

Although the smile was slight, Weiss did her best to communicate that only happy thoughts were to be had. Icy blue met shining silver as the heiress caught her partner's gaze squarely with her own. "Ruby," she began clearly, taking no chance with misinterpretation, "I've been thinking about many things and have been doing so ever since the day we toured the museum. They don't apply to my regular thoughts at all, being that they are more…sentimental than I usually allow. However, these thoughts do exist and have plagued me all night. Now I find myself without aim and without confidence, but the thoughts spur me on regardless." Her smile became a smirk as she asked, "Do you know what I'm saying?"

Ruby nodded hesitantly. "I…think so. There's stuff I think about, too, that sometimes keeps me up at night. But most of the time, it's bad stuff like nightmares. Why? What's on your mind right now?"

Without even a second of hesitation, Weiss stated, "You."

"Me?"

The heiress nodded. "Ever since the museum, you have occupied my thoughts utterly and completely. There has not been a time where I have made a decision without considering what effects it might have on you or what you might say about it. In all honesty, I'm not exactly sure what all these thoughts mean, but I think I have an idea.

"Ruby, I know that I've been a terrible partner at times, and I don't expect you to ever forgive me, but I just need you to know that I am sorry for all of the things I've said. You've been kind to me without incentive and you've helped me when I warned you not to. I couldn't have asked for a better partner or a better friend than you, but I still find myself at odds. Since the museum, I've held a belief. That belief says that as I think about you, you think about me—I've seen it in your eyes, heard it in your voice; there's no denying it. I'm not sure what any of this is. I can't say for certain what your thoughts are and my own are just as muddled; however, the fact remains that I find myself thinking about you at a near constant rate."

The heiress then paused a beat, allowing Ruby a moment to absorb this speech. When next the young girl's smile widened in seeming curiosity, Weiss asked, "Ruby, I've been thinking about us and what that pronoun means exactly. I believe I have an understanding about what bond the word implies, but I have to admit, I am hesitant about it. I think…I think 'us' means you and me," she sighed, "together. Ruby, do you ever think about me in the same way I think about you?"

Surprisingly, the young girl did not blush or recoil in her sleepy daze, simply raising an uncertain eyebrow. She drawled, "Yeah, I think about you all the time, Weiss."

"Do you ever think about us being together?"

It was a sudden inquiry to be sure, one that was wholly uncharacteristic of the ascetic heiress, but Weiss was confident in its delivery. It was direct enough that it could be claimed bold but so too indirect as to remain cryptic. She had faith that Ruby could decipher its meaning; after all, it was not too much of a mystery what this question meant.

Ruby scratched the back of her head. "I mean, yeah, kind of. There's strategies and stuff that I have to think about and ways that we're supposed to work together, but…aren't we already together? I mean, we're partners, right?"

For a moment, Weiss' smile fell away. The word "Dolt" came to mind and it nagged at her lips, but she could not bring herself to berate Ruby. The young girl had just been woken up in the middle of the night and some amount of sluggishness should have been expected. Weiss' smile would return to her gradually, and when she felt that her softer expression had been recovered, she corrected, "That's not exactly what I meant, Ruby." She willed herself into saying it. "I meant do you ever think about us dating?"

It was then that the young girl's eyes widened and her smile fell away. Instantly, Ruby was awake. "I, uh, I…Um, are you...saying what I think you're saying?"

There was a look of fear in Ruby's eyes. This was the sort of fear Weiss had felt prior to climbing the ladder and asking the question. It was uncertainty, it was hesitation, it was failing conviction, but deep down inside her silver eyes, a flame of hope burned in the night. Ruby was awestruck that the question had been asked, and this allowed Weiss to glean an answer. But assumption alone would not suffice. She needed Ruby to accept and do so verbally. For this, Weiss responded with a nod, her smile growing wider subconsciously.

"Y-you're asking me out?"

"I suppose so."

"And you mean it? You aren't just playing a trick on me?"

It was then that Weiss frowned. Even still there were lingering safeguards in her partner's mind against the heiress. "Ruby, I'm not that cruel." At least, she did not think this was the case.

"W-w-wait! No, Weiss, I'm sorry! I didn't mean it like that! I just…" Ruby then looked around frantically, confusing Weiss as to what she was looking for. A moment later, it seemed as if inspiration found her and she looked to her own arm and pinched it. She winced and then paused for a long, revelatory second. Slowly, her look of panic and fear would be lost and would be replaced with a grin of sheer felicity. She looked to Weiss excitedly, her eyes once again sparkling in the moonlight. "I'm not dreaming!" she whispered. "I'm not dreaming! Weiss, are you really asking me out?"

"I, um…yes?"

Somehow, her grin grew even wider. "And you mean it? You really want to go out with me? _You_ want to go out with _me_?"

Weiss simply nodded, having no words to rely on. She could not believe this was happening.

Ruby squealed. "Yes! Yes! Absolutely! Yes!" All Weiss could do was stare dumbfounded at this show of unbridled emotion. She had expected some elation, but nothing like this. Ruby was positively giddy, and had it not been two or three in the morning, she would have likely cheered out of happiness. "I can't believe it!" Ruby exclaimed. "I mean, I can—I've thought about this day for a while—it's just…I can't believe it!"

It was then that Weiss smiled again. However, this smile, more than those previous, was genuine and excited—incomparable to Ruby's, of course, but wholly gratified nonetheless. With Ruby's acceptance, an extraordinary weight was lifted from her shoulders which included far more than the stress of this night. She no longer had any reason to fear and she had no reason to frown. Although she was still coming to terms with Ruby's acceptance and her new predicament, she smiled freely, in a way that she had not in so many years.

"I promise I'll be the best girlfriend ever! You'll see! We'll go on dates, see lots of movies, eat tons of popcorn, and just have a good time. And I'll be well-behaved, too! You won't get mad at me anymore because I won't give you the chance to get mad at me. I'll get you soup when you're sick, sharpen your sword when it's dull, and I'll get better about studying and everything!"

"I'm sure you will," Weiss assured. "But we can talk all about this in the morning. I'm…It probably wasn't the best idea to ask you at this hour—"

"Oh, no! No, it's fine! Absolutely fine! In fact, this might be the best morning ever!" The young girl laughed purely out of excitement. "It's like Christmas came early!"

Weiss could not help but give a short, low chuckle of her own. Nothing about the moment was particularly humorous to her, but the happiness that took hold over her expression was powerful. "Regardless," Weiss reluctantly said, "I've been awake for far too long and I'd imagine you need to rest as well. We can discuss the means and stipulations of this relationship tomorrow, but first I'd like to absorb this situation somewhat."

Though her expression did not shift into anything expressly negative, Ruby's smile did waver for a moment. Perhaps she wanted to glory in her accomplishment and talk to Weiss a bit longer. Unfortunately, the heiress did not hold the same amount of enthusiasm and wished to go about this introductory process in a calm, collected sort of way rather than with the energy Ruby now possessed. Moreover, Weiss simply needed to sleep. "Yeah, okay. Sure," Ruby said. Sure, we can do that. It's just, I…" She shook her head and then smiled brightly. "Thanks, Weiss. I promise I won't let you down."

The heiress did her best to return the smile before replying, "I know you won't. Good night, Ruby."

"'Night, Weiss. See you when we wake up!"

At this, Weiss began her descent down the ladder—slowly, carefully as not to fall victim to her own fatigued balance. However, she would keep a majority of her focus on Ruby, locking her eyes onto her partner's in order to prove that their bond was now true. The final sight the heiress was left with before she retired was of the childlike grin and reflective silver eyes filled with mirth and adoration.

She would find her way back to her bed and she would revel at the touch of her pillow and the warmth of her blanket. Sleep was now attainable and was a prospect her mind so desperately wanted to accept. But this would not be the case. Neither girl would be able to find sleep easily, one being too preoccupied with her quiet excitement and the other finally coming to terms with what had just happened.

She had asked Ruby out and succeeded. It was strange, unthinkable even. Weiss Schnee, the girl who had held a frigid infamy across the four kingdoms and swore herself to aloofness for her family's sake, was now dating this naïve sixteen-year-old huntress. Dating—it was a weird word for her. This meant that Ruby was her…girlfriend, possessive pronouns and all. They were…together, spoken for, committed. They had signed a social contract of paradoxical earnestness and frivolity, one that would tie them together until the day pain or unrest might displace these contented sentiments and one that would necessitate softer expressions and repayments of debts continually and unabashedly.

Ruby was her girlfriend. Ruby was her girlfriend. No matter how many times the heiress thought it, the sentence did not seem to make sense. Grammatically, it was coherent. Ideologically, however, it did not want to take root. She was happy of course, but she did not know why. Perhaps it was simply the joy of succeeding which had affected her so, but observing Ruby's emotion, hearing her voice, seeing her eyes, it was all too much. Perhaps this was attraction, perhaps not, but whatever the case, she and Ruby were dating—Ruby was her girlfriend now—and there was no opposition.

Weiss returned to her pillow, finding the position she had resorted to as a means of warding off the ghostly sensation of memory, and began to stare at the wall again. Perhaps she was truly happy and was just too tired to admit it. Ruby certainly seemed overjoyed by the question and Weiss would not lie about her own resulting emotion. This was a strange occurrence, a far cry from the past. She never would have expected that this would be the result of her antagonizing efforts of the first semester and the city square, and she could not believe that she, herself, had asked another girl out. It was absurd, but not necessarily disagreeable.

In fact, the situation was opportune, she reasoned. By dating Ruby, Weiss had a chance to become personable and congenial. Perhaps through Ruby, she could outshine Winter in diplomatic negotiations or her father in business tact. Ruby was a new variable in her life and a variable she could learn from. More than that, Ruby was a friend. Ruby was her friend—her girlfriend. It was still strange to think this, but Weiss would smile about it.

She would close her eyes, sigh deeply, and find the enervating pull of slumber just beyond the encroaching murk. However, this would be accompanied by the ghostly sensation of before. Even now she could see Ruby's eyes glittering in the dark, dreamy optimism dancing abound, and as well her radiant grin that expressed pure energy towards Weiss' accomplishment. A phantasmal arm snaked around her waist while another did the same but held her back reassuringly. They were Ruby's arms from the museum, and as the one on Weiss' back rubbed concentric patterns up and down her spine, she would not object. Instead, she imagined the shoulder and the wisp of hair obscuring her vision as she accepted the embrace and reciprocated the emotion on the pillow nearest to her. All she saw was red, but this was not anger or outrage as would be characteristic. Within the embrace of another soul's care, Weiss would fall asleep, unabashed and serene. With this ethereal embrace came comfort and so too the final message of love from Alexia.

* * *

><p>Noon would find the two sitting quietly across from one another atop the noiseless veranda of a downtown café. A public locale though it was, this venue had been chosen by Weiss due to its scarcity of patrons and remoteness of placement. It sat on the edge of one of the city's few remaining grand canals, allowing for both herself and her partner to occasionally peer down at the ferries and rowboats which carried passengers from deep within the city out towards the bay. Utilization of the canals in this age seemed passé and entirely inefficient to the heiress, but Weiss supposed that there was a quaint comfort felt by old-world practices. She, herself, knew this fact well, and perhaps this was why she had chosen the waterfront café. It was quiet here, save for the low conversations of couples and colleagues, and it was also private, allowing for discretion in finalizing her newly founded relationship.<p>

Ruby still beamed at this connection. In fact, she had not stopped smiling ever since she woke up—that is, if she had gone to sleep in the first place. She had made a show of expressing her jubilation earlier by sitting beside the heiress' bunk with an eager grin as she waited for Weiss to wake. It was, admittedly, a concerning action, but the young girl's excitement was genuine and Weiss could not blame her for this despite the unease caused. But now she was relatively calm, controlling her emotion and matching her partner's silence.

Weiss frowned her regular frown and simply watched the water sparkle in the sun. In a way, she wistfully mused, it was like Ruby's eyes last night. The heiress had been moved by her partner then—smitten, to be precise—and she had fallen asleep in the young girl's remembered arms. This was a frustrating fact to be sure, but it was not one which could cause a corresponding expression. Rather, she was truthfully content with her current situation. However, she would continue to be silent because of the one minor flaw present in their outing.

There was nothing wrong with Ruby, not in this particular instance—her happiness, her relation, her existence were all tolerable and anticipated. The venue was decent, even if they had yet to be waited upon. The temperature was comfortably warm and the scent of ocean water was a pleasant one indeed, one which inspired satisfaction at her decision to join her team for the summer. Unfortunately, she had not been the only one to join her team for the break. Occasionally, her gaze would turn to her peripheral so that she could watch the suited assistant standing nearby.

His presence was likely the cause of the waiter's delay and was moreover discomforting to the girl in white since his allegiance rested with her father rather than herself. He was inhibiting the conversation which would concern the girls' relationship simply by standing there. Weiss wanted to speak to Ruby and settle the excitement which might potentially rush their dating future, but with him standing as close as he was, she could not risk a conversation, lest a slip of emotion be shown through her speech.

The heiress looked back to her partner, finding the sight she was met with to be charming in a way. The midday light cast an inviting glow upon an already cheerful demeanor, leaving Ruby's affable smile to hold an almost mature warmth. As soon as Weiss had moved to look at the younger girl, Ruby had noticed and met the icy gaze immediately, communicating a silent greeting that urged Weiss towards speech. But this would not occur because of the assistant. Still, Weiss would send Ruby a raised eyebrow, asking what her expression was about, and she was met with a smirk that told her that the girl in red was simply happy to be spending time with one so frigid. This was followed by Weiss shaking her head in mild exasperation before turning her gaze back to the water. Though she still was not particularly attracted to her partner, she would admit that she did find the young girl alluring. Her silver eyes still danced in Weiss' mind.

Eventually, the delay in service would come to an end when a young waiter decided to brave the glare of the Atlesian assistant and move to the partnership's table. His approach had only been realized by the heiress due to Ruby's sudden shudder.

Calmly, Weiss would pull her gaze away from the gondolas and regard this newcomer. In the process, she had noticed that Ruby continued to focus on her instead of him. Unfortunately, the young girl's countenance no longer held the excited of smile from before but instead a trepid frown. However, this expression would be ignored for the moment so that an eyebrow could be raised towards the young man, causing his introduction. "I'm sorry about the wait," he said with not a small amount of nervousness slowing his speech. "I thought somebody would've taken your order by now, but I guess not. Anyways, can I get you two taken care of?"

"I'll have a cappuccino." Weiss turned to her partner. "Ruby?"

The girl in question did not turn to the waiter nor did she choose to speak to him. Instead, she whispered to her partner, apparently hoping that Weiss would give the order for her. "Um, do you think they have something I'll like here? Like chocolate milk or something?"

Weiss turned back to the waiter. "Do you serve chocolate milk here?"

"I'd have to check, but I don't think so. We do serve whole, reduced-fat, and skim, but I'm not sure if we make chocolate milk. I could check, if you want."

"No, Weiss," Ruby whispered, "it's fine. I'll just have a water or something. I don't want to cause a problem."

It was then that inspiration struck the heiress. She had been looking for a way to rid herself of the assistant and her father's constant gaze, and it had been Ruby who supplied her with the means of doing so. As such, she smiled at the waiter, somewhat in faux kindness but mostly out of self-satisfaction, as she said, "She'll have a water."

"All right," he said. "Is there anything else I can get you two?"

"No, thank you," Weiss said.

"All right, I'll get those drinks right out." At this, he left.

Ruby released an especially relieved sigh as she slouched in her chair. This eventually became an amused smile, but the initial expression had been shown and had been telling of her unease next to the unfamiliar waiter. The young girl's awkward nature and aversion to first impressions were nothing new to the heiress' understanding, yet it was her reaction to the waiter and her inability to face him directly which was under scrutiny. Perhaps she was uncomfortable without Yang's presence—she had spoken to waiters before, but only when the blonde had been nearby. In this case, it could be perceived that the young girl did not feel as confident around her partner, but this was unfortunately understandable, being that Weiss had observably detested any sort of inefficiency or inability. However, these thoughts would be deferred until a more appropriate time. Now was the time for action.

With a snap of her fingers, Weiss caught the attention of the entire veranda, drawing their curious gazes and her assistant's presence. He stepped to stand beside the heiress and, without a word, waited on her command. "Ruby would like a chocolate milk," she said without bothering to look his way. "And as you're likely aware, this establishment does not serve the drink. Go out and purchase a bottle and return as quickly as you can."

Immediately, complaints arose from both parties as the startled patrons returned to their meals. "Weiss, you don't have to do this. It's fine," urged Ruby. "I was just thinking of an example of something. I'll be fine with water."

The assistant then assured, "Lady Schnee, I am tasked only with ensuring your safety. Errands are not my responsibility and your father has expressly forbidden me from leaving your side."

The heiress turned to him with a disinterested expression. "I am the one signing your paychecks while you are here, not my father. You can follow whatever orders he gives to whatever extent you would like, but once your obligations cross mine, then there will be a problem—a problem that might result in the termination of your services. So, you can run off and buy that bottle of milk or you can begin working without pay."

"You are a very cruel girl, Lady Schnee."

"Perhaps," she said coldly. "But you and the rest of my father's goons are disingenuous. It's not the wellbeing of the Schnee name you value, but your own pockets' weight. As long as you are being paid, no amount of backstabbing seems to move you. However, if we were to remove the monetary factor in all of this…"

The man sighed. "As you command, Lady Schnee."

It was a dangerous game, dealing with these assistants. Too forward of an effort would break their fragile convictions, sending them to the ears of her father so that they might accuse her of disloyalty or something of the kind. Yet if she were to act too softly on them, then they would gain confidence and would undoubtedly defy an order at a crucial point in time—such is the case of this most recent occurrence. Concurrently, there was the matter of frequency; if she reprimanded them too often, they would break, and if she seldom criticized their attitudes, then they would become bold. This was not a matter of humanity or clemency on her part, for these assistants were people who would surely kill her if the bounty were high enough. This was simply a matter of self-preservation.

The assistant turned and left with no outward effect pointing to his ire, heading into the café proper and down the stairs therein, leaving Ruby and Weiss alone with each other.

It was then that Weiss gave a sigh of her own. They were a stressful group, her assistants, but now they were gone and she had only to deal with her new relationship—a comparatively simpler matter which was still yet oppositional to her fundamental beliefs. Weiss found her partner's smile again and internally grimaced at it. Whereas Ruby's presence had once been reassuring and comforting to the heiress' then procrastination-focused mind, the young girl's positivity was daunting now that it was the matter at hand. Her smile was intimidating in a way—unnerving to be more specific—because it was genuine and kind and a fair bit flirtatious from Weiss' perspective, and now she had to contend with it.

Yet gone was the timidity of the awkward girl and in its place came temerity, a boldness brought on by their new relation. "Thanks for doing that, Weiss. Though, you really didn't have to tell him to go get the milk. Seems kinda wrong to do that since we're sitting in a café and all, right?"

Weiss recomposed herself with a sigh, assuming her cold, effective persona once again so to tactfully maneuver around the impending conversations. "Perhaps," she said. "Although, sending him away was not so much about the milk as it was his dismissal." The young girl raised her brow to this, leading Weiss to elaborate. "Without him here, we can discuss our relationship."

"What's there to discuss?" Ruby grinned. "You're my girlfriend now, and that's that!"

Weiss could not help but shudder at this statement. It was so…true, disturbingly so. "Ruby," she struggled, "we have to establish rules before we can move forward—or anywhere for that matter."

"Rules?"

"In order to go about this relationship correctly—that is, in order to make this easier on the both of us—we must set limits beforehand. For instance, there should be no public displays of affection at this point in time. Before anything definite occurs before the public eye, I'd like make sure that everything is in order—namely, family matters and assistants as well as my own convictions."

"Wait. Does that mean you're not sure about dating?"

"That's a difficult question," sighed Weiss. "Frankly, no, I'm not ready for dating, but I doubt I ever will be. The…emotion required of it is not of my character and I genuinely believe that this could only lead to hardship in the way of future missions." Ruby frowned, spurring Weiss' antithesis. "However, I'm certain that this is the right thing to do. Dating, that is."

It was then that the young girl let out a particularly relieved sigh of her own. "Well, that's good. For a second there, I thought we'd have to break up already." With this, Ruby began to smile again. "So, what's on your mind? What's bothering you about this?"

"Myself, mostly. You know perhaps more than anyone how distant I can be. I'm cold, indifferent, temperamental, and none of who I am should rationally apply to a relationship."

"Well, you had the courage to ask me out. So, there's that. I've been thinking about us dating for a few months now, but I never really thought it would go anywhere. I know I'm an awkward mess and I know I can't say things as good as you and I really don't even know what I want out of life, but you've got everything figured out! I'm the one not cut out for dating."

"You may be young, Ruby, and as awkward as you say, but you're kind, and that's something I cannot say for myself." The heiress then turned away from her partner, looking off at the boats again. "If it's not kindness that characterizes a relationship, or even care or attraction, then what does? It's not knowledge or the drive for it, and it's certainly not conquest except under the most monstrous of conditions. It's definitely something positive."

"Well, I can't say from my own experience, but from what I saw with Yang and the boys she used to bring home, I think it's a little bit of all of that."

"That's what I figured," Weiss sighed.

"Well, there's no need to be so glum about it! I think you're a really nice person, Weiss, even if you can be grouchy sometimes."

The heiress raised an eyebrow. "Oh? When have I done anything but antagonize you?"

Ruby frowned. "You don't antagonize me, Weiss. Sure, you get mad sometimes, but you're just making sure I'm doing everything right. That's a good thing! I'm not sure I would've made it through the first semester if you didn't help me study. I didn't get to learn all that stuff you showed me about note-taking while I was at Signal, and getting into Beacon was kinda overwhelming. And then you taught me a lot of stuff about fighting, too, like turn order and target priority. Then you did stuff like teach me how to speak better, eat more politely, and be less annoying." She then grinned again, lifting her partner's mood somewhat. "And best of all, you asked me out! I mean, it's still day one, but I'm having a great time!"

"Perhaps," Weiss said. "But I have been rude to you on many occasions and—"

"Hey, you don't need to apologize to me! We're cool now."

"I…That's not what I was going to say exactly, but I suppose it would have been appropriate." Upon this conversational hiccup, the young girl seemed to shrink into her chair, recoiling at her own awkwardness. Continuance would fix this. Weiss turned again to her partner, assuming a more relaxed position against her seat's back that would mimic Ruby's own. "What I was going to say was that I've been rude to you and that simply will not contribute to a relationship.

"The rift between us, the one I talked about in the museum, isn't just societal or cultural, it's between our personalities. You're kind and I'm cold. You're energetic and I'm unflappable. You're spontaneous and I'm meticulous. It's a relationship doomed to failure, but it's certainly not unattainable. We may overcome our differences in time, we might not, but the point is that we will try. But in order for us to try, I cannot allow you to carry the burden by yourself. I must put forth some effort, too, by showing a softer expression."

"What do you mean by that?"

"I'll have to smile more," said Weiss simply.

Ruby grinned. "Well, count me in on helping! I like it when you smile, Weiss. It doesn't happen that often, but it's kinda one of the reasons why I like you."

An unwanted heat rose to the heiress' cheeks. This girl simply could not remove herself from earnest remarks, could she? "Thank you," Weiss replied, "but that infrequency is not to be overlooked. While you can be happy and…affectionate with relative ease—"

"It's only easy 'cause you let me like you!"

Weiss' blush deepened. "As I was saying, while you can be these things, I cannot. I would like to change this, but the fact of the matter is that I am not this way and more than likely will not be anytime soon. This is why I need to set a limit on public displays of affection. You can compliment me all you want and say whatever you have to, but any amount of physical interaction, at least in a public setting, is not something I can take lightly. There are people in this world who would relish an opportunity to slander my family's name, and if they see me dating you, then they will think I'm just like my…" Ruby did not need to know about Winter. "They will think I'm just like my father: defiant of traditions."

"Okay, I can understand that. I mean, I'd take care of Yang first before I'd take care of myself—Oh! Speaking of! Before we actually do anything that people normally do when they're dating, Yang's gonna want to talk to you. She said that if I ever started dating anyone, they'd have to get her approval."

"Noted. Now, back to the task at hand."

"Right. So, no hugs anymore?"

"Not while there are people watching."

"No, uh, hand-holding?"

"It's doubtful."

"No…um…"

"Ruby, if I'm guessing what you're insinuating, then that will not occur for a long while."

"Oh, no!" The young girl seemed panicked. "No, I didn't mean it like that! I just meant…" her face turned a deep scarlet as she whispered, "kissing."

Weiss arched an eyebrow. "So did I."

This was followed by a long silence purveyed by both awkwardness and patience. As Ruby struggled to readjust to the conversation she had once again misinterpreted, Weiss simply waited on her, needing the young girl to form her own conclusions as to what the rule meant. The suggestive thought her partner had apparently held was of no consequence and the heiress did not judge her for it; rather, she would judge Yang for introducing the careening thought into her own sister's innocent mind.

Fortunately, this silence would be broken relatively soon after by their waiter's return. The young man quickly emerged from the café with a tray held before him which carried only the two drinks and a notepad intended to take the partnership's orders. He set Weiss' coffee down first, warning her about the temperature, and she met him with a slight smile before he placed a bottle of water in front of Ruby. Perhaps it was due to some need within the young girl's mind to stray from the current awkwardness, but Ruby was able to overcome her prior shyness and smile at the man as well.

"There you go," he said. "Now, is there anything else I can get you two?"

Weiss shook her head as he reached for the notepad. "We'll be fine for now, thank you."

At this, he nodded and returned to the café.

Perhaps this was the sort of expression Weiss had been attempting. He had arrived with a smile, left the same, and carried himself with the same professionalism and efficiency she had, albeit in a less austere manner. But perhaps it was her ascetic nature which bound the heiress to inexpressiveness. Ruby deserved better; Ruby had been able to smile at the man after he had approached so cheerily. However, she also smiled at Weiss, and this expression was now focused on the heiress, if in a more smirking fashion than a grin.

"You know," Ruby began, opening her bottle at the same time, "you've got me thinking. If you don't want to show the world how much you like me, then why'd you take me here for our first date?"

It was an almost offended expression Ruby was met with from the heiress, one of furrowed brows and an unamused gaze. "This is not our first date."

The smirk fell away and was replaced with evident worry. "But I thought we were going out?"

"We are. This is simply not a date. Consider it an outing."

"An…outing?"

"Despite the locale, I'd consider this to be more of a business lunch than anything expressly romantic. I don't imagine we will actually go on a date for some time to come. First, I must acclimate to the relationship and soften my expressions so that I can appropriately interact with you. Otherwise, we would simply bicker over nothing and would only grow apart. However, we will go on a date eventually, and when that time comes, you will know with all certainty that it is our first date. That much I can promise."

"So, this is just…nothing?"

"No," Weiss said. "No, this falls under the category of 'No public displays of affection.' We are dating and we are on genial terms, but this outing is purposed solely to prepare for the eventual dates ahead of us."

"All right," Ruby accepted, if somewhat reluctantly. "So, this is just us setting ground rules?"

"Precisely."

The young girl hummed for a moment, apparently delving into introspection and giving Weiss the time to sample her drink. At approximately the same time, both girls found their experiences to be satisfactory and they regarded each other again.

"Okay, I think I've got the whole 'No PDA' thing down. No hugging, no touching, no…kissing, just talking." Weiss nodded. "And then we aren't going on dates for a while until you're comfortable with us being together?" Again, the heiress nodded. "Okay, that'll be good since I'm still trying to settle down about you asking me out. I mean, I'm excited about when we do go on a date, don't get me wrong, but finding my bearings is a good thing. And I'm guessing that's not the end of it?"

"Unfortunately not." Weiss looked to her partner, catching the attentive silver gaze and meeting it with a plea for understanding. "Ruby, I don't enjoy these restrictions any more than you do. Personally, I'd like it if we could be open with our relationship and see which way the wind takes us, but it simply cannot be that way.

"Mostly, this has to do with my own demeanor, but there are outside forces that hold us back as well." Ruby looked confused by this. "When I sent my assistant away, I did that so I could speak with you. Once he returns—and I would assume he will soon enough—then we will have to return to silence."

"Why? Is it because he doesn't like me?"

This was an odd question. "You...think he has something against you?"

"Doesn't he?" The young girl seemed genuinely concerned. "I mean, he only talks to you, and every time he looks at me or Yang or Blake, it's like there's something wrong with us. I tried to say 'Hi' once, but I don't think he liked that very much."

In order to reassure the young girl, a slight lie would need to be told so to ease her discomfort and dismiss these unfortunately true claims. "Ruby, my assistants treat everyone that way, myself included. It's not that they don't like you, it's that they miss Atlas. They're just not used to the amount of work they have to do here. At home, they had a larger force and would spend only minutes at a time with me, and they certainly did not have to drive me anywhere. There's nothing wrong with you, Ruby, I promise. Any looks that my assistants might give you are just them being childish."

"But I thought you said I was childish?"

"You're childish in a good way. They're petulant and enjoy throwing their fits."

"What do you mean 'in a good way?' I thought being childish was a bad thing?"

Some part of Weiss construed this question as holding genuine skepticism, but at the same time, she had a feeling that Ruby was leading her into a conversational trap. This latter thought, however, concerned Weiss for only a moment before it was replaced with a more characteristic assessment for her partner. Perhaps Ruby was attempting to alter the flow of their conversation in order to elicit a compliment from her frigid teammate, and if this was the case, then Weiss' compliment would fall in line with her promise for softer expressions and forthright emotion. Yet if Ruby truly was concerned about her appearance, then a compliment—or at least an attempt at one—might lift her mood again.

"Not necessarily," answered Weiss. "For you, it's beneficial. You're young and it shows, but this isn't a bad thing. You have an energy that my assistants can't hope to match and a spirit that's entirely comforting. It's as though your existence in contrast to mine is a balance for the better—you add levity to my gravity and you're able to ease my discomfort. In a way, you're the childhood friend I never had, and now I realize that."

Surprisingly, Ruby did not smile. She simply looked down at her water and wandered into her own mind. There was the slightest coloration that could signify a blush, but Ruby's expression was entirely pensive as she absorbed these words. For a moment, her mouth moved into a smirk before falling back into a frown. Weiss doubted that her words were hurtful or shocking—they had been the uncensored truth and she felt proud of them. Fortunately, Ruby would eventually sigh in a way that could only be described as appreciative before she turned an amused smile on the girl across from her, seemingly withholding a laugh.

"You know, it's kinda weird, what you said." Contrary to her apparent nervousness and awkwardness, she met Weiss' gaze unabashedly and without hesitation, letting her smile shine through every tell of her features. "I mean, I've never heard you talk about me or anyone that way before. It's like you were saying something about your family or a painting, and…I don't know. I know I'm immature and I'm working on getting better about that, but hearing you say that just made me feel liked for once. Yang says stuff like that sometimes, but she's my sister, so it doesn't really count. Hearing it from you, though…it's different.

"I like you, Weiss. I like-like you. I haven't had many friends in my life and not really any dates ever, and when you asked me out, it made me feel…I don't know, special? It's like my heart wants to jump out of my chest and hug you or something. I want to smile and thank you, but I just can't because I'm not as good with words as you are. I can't think straight and anything I can think of to show you how I feel just doesn't seem right.

"Nobody's ever really said anything like that to me, Weiss. It's like I matter or something and that you actually like me. And it's not fake or forced like Yang's compliments; you said what you did because you meant it, and I don't know what to say for that. Thanks, I guess? I mean, I'm thankful and everything, but I'm not sure saying that will cut it. I um…" She gave a small, disregarding laugh and looked back down to her water, smiling all the while. "Honestly, I want to jump up and hug you right now, but I'm pretty sure that's against your rules."

Relatively, this was a mature action on the young girl's part, her withholding of emotion. It was obvious there was more to her speech, but she lacked the ability to express it. The thought that Weiss could elicit such a response over so simple a compliment was astonishing—that Ruby would be compliant with the previously set rule and somehow giddy seemed impossible to the heiress. Regardless, Weiss smiled back, unable to conceal any emotion at this point in time. She did enjoy Ruby's company, and even if the young girl could be over-enthusiastic, her earnestness was welcomed into such a desolate life. "We'll reach that point one day," the heiress assured. "Hopefully by then I'll be able to feel similarly."

"And I'll help you get there in any way I can." Ruby's smile widened. "I'll be the best teammate ever!"

"I'm sure you will, but that point is in the future. We'll get there when we're both confident about dating and when I've…loosened up a bit, but it will only take time."

"Well, at least we're going out now. That's all that matters, right?"

Weiss closed her eyes and nodded before returning to her drink and simply taking in the scene around her.

It was quiet here, nearly as quiet as the early morning was, but not nearly as stressful. Whispered conversations came from the four or so other filled tables on the veranda and a constant babel came from the sidewalks and the adjacent waterway below. It was strange how peaceful the heiress felt in this moment, being that companionship was still a relatively new variable in her life, but she felt secure in that no one was likely judging her here. No one here cared about her name or crest, only her merits and ideas—and even then, few actually paid attention to her except those she had allowed.

Still she could see the silver orbs against the soft moonlight, shimmering like the most precious of metals. They were like the water of the canal in a way; both were serene and tranquil and welcoming to all who might appear before them, but they were also fluid and changing, telling of a personality behind them that ebbed with each uncertain presence or rebuke and flowed with gentle kindness returned with admitted hesitance. Perhaps this was attraction or infatuation, but when Weiss opened her eyes and met her partner's patient gaze, her lips would continue to curl upwards in an unwitting show of placidity and comfort.

There was more she could say, more compliments to give which might deliver that jumping-heart sensation the young girl had talked about. How Weiss had enjoyed hearing of that. It told her that despite her upbringing, she was able to interact with another human and cause a happy response. Perhaps this was what Ruby wanted out of a relationship, this positivity and flattery, and Weiss would not say that she objected to it. Like the romance novels read in Glatteis Manor, she and her partner were simply calm in their shared amity and she did not feel like moving from the young girl's presence. She found comfort in her silver eyes, the memory of her touch, and the feedback on her words—they were all so foreign and different, exciting and moving. Though she was another girl and two years younger at that, there was not a single doubt in the young heiress' mind that Ruby's companionship was not one to be squandered and would fit best not simply as an equal to Weiss, but as her girlfriend. They were a couple and Weiss could accept that.

The glass door to the café's interior opened out of the corner of Weiss' eye, bringing a suited man carrying a brown plastic bottle. His glowering appearance stiffened suddenly under his employer's absent-minded gaze and rose to his expected frown. Ruby now seemed to understand his presence's meaning and thus she became silent as well. Both girls watched as he strode down the ever-so-awkwardly long path before reaching their table against the parapet. Without a word, he placed the drink before Ruby right as the young girl chirped a particularly cheery "Thank you!"

The man hesitated, his expression fluctuating between disgust and confusion before he responded warily, "Certainly, Lady Rose."

"Oh, you don't have to call me that!" It was then that both Atlesians raised eyebrows at her. "You can just call me Ruby!"

"I…" The assistant looked to Weiss in confusion but was met with the same. This was a request more characteristic of Yang than of young, socially averse Ruby. A request of mundaneness was improper in her father's society and was not something the assistant likely expected. Of course, after the events of the past year, Ruby's open positivity and desire for friendship should have made this situation understandable, if only to Weiss. But even still, the young girl's request was unfortunately unable to be fulfilled due to the assistants' training. "I apologize, Lady Rose, but I cannot."

"Why not? I'm not a queen or anything. I'm as human as you are, so you don't have to act like I'm better than you or something."

His expression changed subtly, moving away from complete ire and bewilderment to something of the trepid kind. Nevertheless, he responded automatically and in the way he had been trained. "Lord Schnee has forbidden us to treat anyone of ranking status without the proper title. By Lady Schnee's request, you and your subordinates will hold titles of nobility for the duration of this summer. As such, we are not permitted to address you in any way but by the title which you have been given."

"Well, that's not fun." Ruby frowned. "I'm sorry you guys have to do that for us. I mean, you really don't have to treat me and Yang that way; we're fine with whatever. But if you really have to call us that, then I guess it's okay. I just don't want to be a bother or anything."

The man seemed uncertain about what he should do. Frankly, Weiss would not want to be in his position right now, being that he was torn between duty and reciprocation as she had been before. Eventually, however, he gave a slight smile, an expression previously thought impossible for these elitist assistants who could only sneer at weakness. "It is of no concern, Lady Rose. We do not deserve your pity. Our will is of our own and our continued service to the Schnee name is just as sincere. It is our absolute pleasure to assist you." This was an obvious lie from Weiss' knowledge. Although, there was something about the way he had said this that made the heiress question the veracity of her thought.

His response did not alter Ruby's expression in any positive way, instead sending her into thought and attempted improvisation. In a moment's time, an idea seemed to strike her. "Well, if you guys can't take a break from calling us 'Lady' all the time, then at least know that we're thankful. Without you guys, we wouldn't be able to get around town as easily as we do!"

Against all odds, his smile became sincere. "Thank you, Lady Rose. Your gratitude is appreciated." She smiled back at him and he turned this expression towards Weiss. "Lady Schnee, is there anything else that I may help you with?"

It was odd, his expression. She had never seen any of her assistants smile before in any way not telling of ulterior motives, and yet Ruby—the admittedly awkward girl—had managed to move the man from his condescending pattern and into something of an encouraged state. Still, Weiss could not trust that he would keep secret her conversation with Ruby, and as such, she sent him away again. "Not at the moment. Though, I would request that you return to the car and await our departure. There are matters of business to discuss and they are to be disclosed to no one other than those involved." He lost his smile again. "I cannot say when we will be ready to leave, but until that time comes, Ruby and I must speak in confidence."

"And this is under duress of termination?"

Weiss nodded. "You may leave now." He gave a brusque sigh before turning. However, before he could, Weiss felt a nudge against her boot which came from Ruby's own. She looked to the younger girl and found that she held a disappointed glare of sorts that held no hostility but instead a message of reprimand—reprimand from the girl who had been reprimanded! Weiss gave a sigh of her own. "Wait," she said, causing his compliance. "You may either return to the car or take a seat inside the café. I'd suggest the latter since you might have to wait for a while, but if you want, you may return to the car."

"Certainly, Lady Schnee." At this, he returned to the café and headed to the barista instead of the stairs with a small, satisfied smirk.

"Weiss, you really have to treat those guys better," Ruby said. "They're working their butts off for you and you just talk down to them all the time."

Weiss returned to her coffee, once again staring out at the city beside them. She could hear Ruby removing the cap to her milk and focusing most of her attention on the action, leading the heiress to believe that this comment was not as reprimanding as it originally sounded. "I know," she sighed. "There was a time when I'd thank them for all that they did, but that time has long since passed. Now they are only spies for my father."

"Yeah, but they're still people, Weiss. Nobody deserves to be threatened like that."

"In a perfect world, perhaps they could be treated as equals, but they lost my favor when they chose my father and his bank account over my family's name." She set her cup down, still staring off into the distant streets and walkways travelled by tourists and students alike. "But this isn't a perfect world. They treat me as though I'm a threat to my own family. They can't be around for these types of discussions because one word of disloyalty against my father or even them and I might be called back to Atlas, never to return to Beacon again."

"Oh," Ruby said, mildly alarmed. "Well, that's not good. I wouldn't have a partner, then."

"So you see my predicament."

"Yeah, um, that's bad. That's _really_ bad. I don't want to lose you, Weiss. We just started going out!"

"And we'll continue to as long as he does not overhear our conversation."

Ruby nodded. "Okay, I understand, then. But you should still treat them like normal human beings."

"In time," the heiress assured. "But first I need to learn how normal human beings should be treated in the first place, and that's why I chose you, among other reasons."

"Oh? You have other reasons? You wanna tell me?" As Weiss had intended, the young girl's expression had dipped into one expressly mischievous and excited as opposed to concerned—truthfully, Ruby's motive at this point in time was not the wellbeing of each and every person around her but instead the celebration of her new relationship. Weiss could not help but smile at this; however, her reaction was not due to Ruby's own but instead the thought of what reaction another compliment might cause. This morning's inquiry and her earlier praise had yielded spectacular results and had spurred the frigid heiress' interest. Perhaps through this, another happy expression might be caused, and this would, in effect, cause one of Weiss' own.

"They're nothing of notable value," began Weiss calmly, not allowing her partner the opportunity to revel in immediate gratification. "Mostly, I grew fond of you due to the fact that you are the most tolerable member of our team and because you are so different from everyone else I know. You act well as a contrast to me and there is much I can learn from you, but this is not to mention the kindness you regularly show me. Like you, I had scarce friends during my childhood, and I unfortunately grew to despise the concept of companionship. But then you came along and changed my perspective—my life, as it were—and now I cannot help but think that you are the friend I've been searching for. You've changed me, Ruby, in more ways than I can count, and I wanted to ensure that you understood my gratitude."

Most of this was a lie. Blake still held the title of "most tolerable teammate" even though Ruby was much more enjoyable to be around. Furthermore, Weiss had had exactly zero friends growing up, but introducing such a dour number into the conversation would likely darken the mood. However, her final two sentences had a certain truth about them. Ruby was Weiss' friend and had altered the heiress' view on friendship and dating all because of the kindness she had shown. And though this relationship was held together by a frail mortar of gratitude and debt, the look this speech inspired certainly strengthened the bond.

Ruby's eyes widened, her cheeks flushed red, her mouth hung open, and her drink seemed forgotten. A smile tugged at her lips despite their open state and her eyes silently asked if what Weiss said was true. The young girl was surprised by her partner's sudden candidness which starkly contrasted her regular personality. Weiss, herself, held a satisfied smirk as she watched the silver eyes dazzle and burn with excitement inhibited only by the recently set rules.

She could not help but add, "Thank you for accepting, Ruby. I can hardly express how happy you've made me."

It was then that the young girl's mouth closed, a hand went to her chest, and she closed her eyes in an expression of sudden sadness. However, it was apparent that this expression was not of sadness but rather of incapacitating happiness. She seemed to be in pain, but the cause and emotion behind it only thrilled the heiress—she was excited, herself, that she could cause this emotion and that she was able to feel what was known now to be attraction. When Ruby looked up to her, lips quivering and eyes glossed over as though she were about to cry, all manipulative sentiments fell away within the heiress' mind as she basked in her partner's joy.

"Weiss…" she whispered, simply grasping for words at this point. "Please, can I hug you now? I…I can't say anything that'll beat that."

The heiress nonchalantly sipped her cappuccino, shrugging all the while. "Eventually," she would say, "but not now." The young girl then let out an indignant "Aww!" which was met with an amused smirk.

So, this was flirting? Weiss could now see why Yang enjoyed it so much. Seeing Ruby smile the way she did and be at a loss for words was entirely pleasing. Perhaps she truly was attracted to Ruby or her happiness, and if this was the case, then Weiss could see herself continuing these admittedly cruel comments so that she could see this same happiness more often. It was, after all, Ruby's happiness which had been the basis for their relationship, and if this basis were to grow, then it was likely their relationship could progress.

Progress. That was why Weiss had consented to this. That was why she had consented to anything in her life. As long as she was improving her person and striving towards her eventual position as head of the Schnee Dust Company, then she would be content. With Ruby, progress came in the form of humanity. Who else could be claimed human if not for the girl who cared about everyone and fought to become legend? She was a representation of the world outside Kaiser Island, a world lost to her family for more than a few generations. By dating and befriending her, not only was a bridge being formed between them, knowledge was being gained and personality was being refined. What was more was that while all of this was occurring, Weiss was finding happiness in Ruby's presence and Ruby in Weiss'. This relationship, though feeble in intention, was perhaps the most beneficial decision the heiress had ever made. It was certainly the most enjoyable with Beacon Academy coming in at a close second, but even this latter decision had led her to Ruby.

There was something about Ruby. Perhaps it was her enthusiasm or worldview, her childishness or blissful naïveté, but she was attractive to the distant heiress—not only in a physical sense any longer, but in an ideological sense, too. Like Weiss, she was friendless in nature, due more to her own inability than her upbringing (how she had managed to remain without friends with a sister like Yang was yet another mystery), and she was interested in the betterment of the world at the expense of herself. Where Ruby was awkward, Weiss was articulate. Where Weiss was condescending, Ruby was reassuring. The two harmonized with one another in a way Weiss could have never anticipated. Of course, their combat record was still trumped by Blake and Yang, but it was not on the field of combat where this bond could be proved.

It was only here on this waterside veranda whereupon idle chatter of preoccupied patrons and distant murmurs of shallow waves from the turquoise canal could Weiss truly understand what she had asked this morning. This young girl who sat across from her, filled with pluck and élan, was now openly infatuated with another who believed herself a monster in the world's eye. They were dating now and did not react negatively to each other whatsoever. There was no nervousness between them anymore, simply happiness. They were happy that they were dating and enjoyed this present silence held between them. Weiss knew that those silver orbs she now stared into were bound to her own. It was a daunting thought, this commitment, but Ruby, more than anyone else, had proven herself worthy and respectable in all of combat, conversation, and consideration.

At the very root of the matter, Weiss enjoyed her partner. She enjoyed seeing her smile, hearing her youthful optimism, and she enjoyed the fact that open affection was there for her whenever she might need it, if ever. In only two weeks' time, she had gone from tolerating Ruby, arguing with her in public, apologizing to her in public, and now to dating her. Normally, this would not be typical of Weiss, but nothing about this situation had been typical in the first place. Regardless, the hows and the whys of the situation did not matter when the objective truth was that Weiss was excited about the days before her.

The silence between them would eventually fade by the time Ruby, in her enthused way, finished quickly half of her bottle before smiling at Weiss, silently telling her that she had something to ask. With a metered frown which was not at all unenthused, the heiress hummed and allowed Ruby to proceed. "Hey, Weiss? You know how you said your assistants missed Atlas?" The girl in white nodded. "What about you?"

"Do I miss Atlas?"

"Yeah. I mean, it's a long way from Beacon. My home's not too far away from the school and I still got homesick while we were there. I can't imagine how you feel about it."

Honestly, sentimental thoughts about Atlas never once occurred to Weiss. It had been where she was born and raised, of course, and she did have an age-old allegiance to the kingdom, but homesickness had never truly afflicted her. "I'm sorry, I can't say I do."

"Well, can you at least tell me about it then?" Just like at the museum, the young girl seemed enthralled by the prospect of a tale about distant lands and strange people. Unfortunately, Weiss' life was not one for storybooks just yet—perhaps Winter's or her father's were, but not her own. "You said that it's cold there and it has clouds and factories, but what else? There had to be something there worth talking about."

"Ruby, I can hardly say I'm from Atlas. I grew up on an island which I rarely had the opportunity to leave."

"Ooh! Then start there! Islands are fun."

Weiss sighed in reluctance. Perhaps a story could be told about her childhood for Ruby's sake. It would not be a lively tale nor would it be insightful into her family's politics, but Ruby had asked for a story and she seemed so eager. Perhaps it was the hope of seeing this absent-minded smile on her partner's countenance continue, perhaps it was her own unadmitted need to reach out to a friend with this story, but whatever the case, Weiss decided that if anyone deserved to know what her upbringing was like, it would be the girl she would spend the next three years with.

The heiress cleared her throat, set her cup down, and met Ruby's grin with an even frown. "You already know about my family's wealth and influence. By this point, I've probably drilled that message to the point where aristocracy is synonymous with my mention." Ruby raised an unfamiliar eyebrow to this, but Weiss did not bother to explain. "Regardless, I was born and raised on an island a ways off the coast of Schlosshafen, a port city on the southwest corner of Atlas. Before I was born, my father moved away from our family's original manor which rested in the Snowy Mountains, deep within the heart of the continent. He had heard of this island with its remoteness and simultaneous accessibility to the capital and decided that it was as good a place as any to build the second iteration of our family's estate.

"He named the island 'Kaiser Island' and the house 'Glatteis Manor' so that he could stray from our family's past. This was where I was born. It's not a very large island, but it most certainly is not small, either—perhaps two miles in diameter with the manor taking up a vast majority of its real estate." Ruby rightfully gawked at this figure. It was extravagant—truthfully, exorbitant—but the diplomats loved it.

"I won't lie by saying it wasn't accommodating; there was everything I could ever need on that island, and anything else could be shipped to the manor with ease. However, this meant that leaving the island was only deemed necessary when business needed to be conducted or when politicians needed to be reminded of who owned the economy." This lattermost remark was delivered with a biting disdain that Ruby thankfully noticed, causing her muted giggle as Weiss continued.

"That was where I grew up—where I learned how to read, write, and do practically anything that the world would need me to do. It was where I found an interest in the arts, both by my own volition and by my father's, and it was where I grew an affinity for fencing. I cannot complain about my education too much. It has served me well at the academy. However, my instruction on the island meant that I was isolated from everyone but my teachers and professors. I never had classmates growing up, I never had friends. So, when I arrived at Beacon, it was a bit of a culture shock."

"Yeah, I'll bet," Ruby mused. "I can't even imagine what it was like going from all that to Beacon. It had to be tough on you. I mean, the dorm room had to be a nightmare."

Weiss smirked. "It was, at first. Mostly, however, it was due to all of you sleeping around me. I never had the chance to share a room with anyone—whenever I had a nightmare as a child, my father would send an assistant to take care of me in some detached way. It felt wrong to leave myself unguarded around anyone, _especially_ around you three."

Ruby laughed at this, openly and genuinely. While she did draw some unwanted attention from the other tables, her voice rang out almost musically to Weiss' ears. In effect, the heiress allowed herself an inaudible chuckle of her own. Looking back on those sleepless first nights, she saw a person that was but a shadow of who she was now. She had once been angry, vindictive, and generally unpleasant to all those around her, but now she was making Ruby laugh with teasing asides.

Eventually, the young girl's giggle would subside and her smile would return to her with an equally genuine question. "Well, if being around all those people was weird, why'd you even go to Beacon in the first place? Not that I'm complaining—I'm glad we met! But I mean it sounds like you had everything you needed up in Atlas. You could've just stayed there and took over your dad's company when he retired."

"We had a bit of a falling out, my father and I. Unfortunately, it's not something I can apologize about because this falling out has gone on for years now. We aren't on the best of terms, and I truthfully don't think he cares about reparations. Beacon was my escape from him so that I could learn something other than his business practices and morals, and I suppose that it was also a way of letting things cool off between us."

Ruby frowned. "Did your mom do anything about that?"

In an instant, Weiss was rendered silent. Her story faded away and the world seemed to lose its luster again as she saw the brilliant smile of her memory. This, however, was not Ruby's expression of today or of any time prior; instead, this was her mother's.

"Weiss?" asked Ruby, apparently aware of the strange expression taking hold of her partner. "Weiss, is everything all right?"

No. Nothing had been "all right" for a long time. But she could not say this because today was for Ruby. "It's nothing," the heiress eventually sighed. "Simply regrettable memories."

Unconvinced, Ruby would watch her partner for a while, letting Weiss take the time she needed to recompose herself. It was not a debilitating memory which took hold of the heiress' mind. The past would always remain in the past, and wishing that something did not occur would only hinder future progress. The memory was sad, no doubt, but Weiss would not allow herself to show emotion over it as she once had.

"It's gonna be okay, Weiss." The heiress blinked and looked to her partner, finding that the young girl held an oddly calming smile. "You don't have to talk about it if you don't want to. We all have stuff we've gotta keep secret, and if your mom's one of them, then it's no big deal. I don't wanna make you mad, so I'm not gonna push you into saying anything. If you ever need someone to talk to, though, the offer's still open. I guess that's what I'm supposed to do because I'm your girlfriend now. But don't worry, it's no big deal." Her smile widened and she apologized. "I'm sorry if I said something wrong, Weiss. It's all gonna be okay. I promise."

Somehow, Ruby's words were able to quiet the sudden storm raging in the back of the heiress' mind to a degree that rational thoughts were made possible again. It was not that Ruby had completely reassured the girl in white, but she had been there when infrequent emotion struck and had shown discretion and care with her words. This was the sort of assistance Weiss had not seen for many years and it was assistance similar in a way to how her mother had acted. And it was from this particular thought of similarity that Weiss suddenly realized why she felt connected to Ruby.

Most would expect the mother of the cold, distant Weiss Schnee and the wife of the dynastic imperialist Otto Schnee to be equally as reprehensible. The truth of the matter is that she was more akin to Ruby and Yang in her outlook on life, if more refined in her speech and mannerisms. She was the lone warmth in a castle of ice and a guiding light for Weiss' morality. While Winter grew closer to her father, Weiss had grown closer to her mother, leading to the sisters' separation in personal growth. However, with the absence of that maternal figure, Weiss later defaulted to acting similarly to her father.

Weiss sighed. "I know, Ruby. I'm all right. I…I just overreacted is all." The young girl smiled and made some disarming remark about how Weiss was supposedly perfect, but the heiress could not move away from thoughts of her mother.

Perhaps it would be beneficial to tell Ruby about her. After all, she had spoken rather extensively about her father and doubtlessly painted a grim picture of the rest of the Schnee family. If her mother was mentioned to a similarly positive individual, then perhaps a parallel would be shown that could later influence Ruby's opinion on the Schnee name. From this, Weiss made her obvious decision. "Ruby, if you'd like, I would not mind telling you about my mother. You've certainly heard enough of my father as it is, and I shouldn't act like she is any more of a secret."

"If you don't want to talk about her, you don't have to." The young girl no longer seemed eager for another story, but she did still smile, silently encouraging Weiss to take whatever path felt right to her. "If you wanna talk about her later, that's all right, but if it's bothering you and you just don't want to talk about her at all, then you don't have to."

"It's not bothering me, Ruby. It's all in the past now."

"All right," the young girl assented. "As long as you're okay with it."

Weiss returned the smile she was given. "Thank you for your concern." This was met with a sheepish dismissal as Weiss prepared her story.

"Now," Weiss began, "I should begin by saying that my mother was a lot like you. Nothing seemed to get her down, she rarely frowned, and she could always find something to laugh about. She was always able to cheer me up. Yet times change and so too personalities, but for as long as I knew her, she had been an influential force in my life. Before she married, she had been a model of some kind, and though this might paint her as a simple trophy for my father, I can assure you she was a very competent, very beautiful woman. Like your sister, she was something of an expert at maneuvering in and around conversations, and her prior occupation certainly added to her ability to do so.

"When I was younger, I would get frustrated at life more often than I do now. Usually, it was the stress of studying which got to me, but occasionally I'd get upset over the pettiest of matters as many children do. And though my father would often chastise me for a lack of patience, my mother was always there to comfort me. Like you, she'd smile, hug me, and tell me that everything was going to be okay and that one day I would get over everything that was troubling me. And then she would pour two cups of coffee and we'd each have one while we just let the situation calm down." Weiss smirked. "Perhaps she started me on coffee a bit too early, but I never complained. I don't think she minded my company, either."

"She sounds nice." Coming from Ruby, this could mean one of a few things. There was the knowledge Weiss held about the young girl's fabled mother and her unfortunate passing. This could mean that Ruby was sadly nostalgic about hearing of a helpful mother or perhaps it could mean that she was overcoming her own internal struggle on the matter, but more than likely, this was Ruby being as sincere as she always was. "But I get the feeling she's not around anymore."

Weiss shook her head, not in expected grief or regret but simply in agreement. "No, she passed away when I was eight."

"Well, she sounds nice. I would've liked to have met her."

"And I'm sure she would have liked to have met you, too. I think you and her could have gotten along well."

Ruby smiled. "What was her name, if you don't mind me asking?"

The heiress could not help but pause. The last time she had said her mother's name aloud was at her funeral, and it had been an unfortunate show of familiarity at such an unfortunate time. Her mother was the only person in her memory she had loved, and since the point of her passing, that four-letter word has lessened in strength considerably. Still, she would answer since Ruby asked. If anyone deserved to know, it would be another who could partake of their long-past ritual of coffee and comfort. "Alexia," Weiss said softly. "The shield of House Schnee."

"It's a pretty name," Ruby said. "I'm sorry you had to go through that, Weiss. If you ever get upset about something and just need to calm down with someone, Team RWBY's always gonna be there for you. And if you ever just need a hug, want to talk, or wanna get a coffee sometime, I'll be there for you faster than you can say 'help.' We're together now, Weiss, and I'm ready to do whatever it takes to make you happy."

She was telling the truth and this was obvious to Weiss. What they now shared went beyond mere friendship. They were committed to making each other's experiences enjoyable while improving their own lives as secondary endeavors. The fact that Ruby could openly admit this care that she placed on Weiss was truly humbling to the frigid girl, forcing her to take a step back and review the scene once more.

It had still not occurred to Weiss how dire the situation truly was or what it meant to date Ruby. Now she understood the correlation to her own subconscious desires and the present scenario. She was sitting with Ruby, speaking genially about nothing in particular (an impossibility in their first semester), and they were more or less sharing a coffee together like she and her mother had long ago. Is this to say that Weiss saw her mother in Ruby and that she desired to find closure in the young girl's arms? In detached, esoteric logic, this could perhaps be argued, but from Weiss' current belief, this was but a mere coincidence that would be happily accepted. Ruby was her girlfriend now and that apparently meant that unending care and support would be given to Weiss and that Ruby did not care about the Schnee name or reputation. Admittedly, Weiss had not accounted for this, but she was content nevertheless.

The two would talk for a little while longer about various matters including, but not limited to, how their relationship would positively influence their combined combat ability, how unfairly the assistant had been treated (for some reason, Ruby seemed adamant about this point), and how Blake and Yang were likely doing on their trip. This latter point of discussion evoked Weiss' ire for a moment due to its phrasing of "Hey Weiss, how do you think Yang's doing right now?" After all, this outing was supposed to be between Ruby and Weiss alone, not the inelegant blonde. However, Weiss got over this frustration fairly quickly and the conversation returned to what they would do the next day.

Although this was not their first date, today had gone splendidly. Yet in order to answer Ruby's question of what they were to do the next day—a question which was taken as "what were they going to do in the days to come now that they were dating?"—Weiss needed to come to a conclusion, herself. She gave Ruby a noncommittal answer of relaxation and improvisation, but she continued to wonder what their next adventure would be.

Perhaps, when the time was right, they could have their true first date and it would be magnificent. For all the good Ruby had done in changing the heiress' mind about a relationship and for all the care that she had expressed, something special was in order for her. This would be only part of Weiss' repayment, but it would be a night to remember if her hand played a part in its construction. As such, the heiress began to plan while she continued to stare absent-mindedly into the silver pools of dancing moonlight that shimmered with each excited word and smiled with each caring remark.

Eventually, time would get the better of them, leaving both Ruby's bottle of water and bottle of milk empty and Weiss' coffee long since drained. But this had been the state of affairs for upwards of thirty minutes, time having passed them by in the pleasant atmosphere and company of this summer's day.

"So," Ruby began, "anything else you wanna talk about? Are there any more rules you need me to follow or anything?"

Weiss shook her head. "No, I think we'll be fine. Just avoid mentioning our relationship to my assistants and try not to hug me when we're out in public."

"You know I still need to get you back for all of the nice things you said about me." Ruby smirked. "It's gonna happen, Weiss. You just have to accept it."

Weiss hummed and gave her best façade of indifference. "I never said that you couldn't. All I said was that it would be ill-advised and that you should at least try to restrain yourself."

There was something of a mischievous gleam in the young girl's eyes, one Weiss was almost certain she knew the meaning behind. Ruby did not say anything more on the matter, simply asking, "Are you ready to go?" She was met with a nod and both moved to stand. Weiss knew what was coming next, and considering the way she had been lulled to sleep in the early morning and how she wished to add another memory of the kind to her life, she would not argue against it.

As soon as the heiress took her first step away from the table, she found herself instantly showered in a flurry of over-enthusiastic rose petals as Ruby closed the distance between them and wrapped her in as tight a hug as she could, making small happy, giggly, affectionate noises all the while. The heiress looked around for a moment, temporarily caught off guard by her partner's increased fervor from the previous instance. When she realized that no one else on this veranda would so much as look their way due to disinterest, she turned back to her partner—rather, girlfriend—with an eager smile of her own which Ruby unfortunately could not see.

Now, unlike before, Weiss had no qualms about returning Ruby's affection, even if she knowingly could not hope to match her childlike happiness. Her arms freed themselves from the young girl's attempt at strength and moved to her back, beneath her cape, in order to pull herself closer. As she did, Weiss' chin came to rest on her partner's shoulder so that she could feel in full the life of another person who valued her more than her name. In kind, Ruby moved to rest her cheek against Weiss' as blushes spread across both their countenances, warming each other in the process.

This, more than anywhere else, was where Weiss wanted to be—not in Atlas, not at Beacon, only in Ruby's arms, as strange as it was to admit. A soft smile graced her features and she could feel a wider one spread across the young girl's cheeks. That someone could accept her like this and hold her with such conviction was unbelievable. Perhaps this was all a dream and she had fallen asleep before asking Ruby out. Perhaps she had imagined the vibrant eyes of her partner and the welcoming hug that assured her that she was not a monster. Perhaps this entire setting was but the wishful dreamscape of a soul imprisoned in her own austerity. But this was not the case. No, Ruby was here, they were together, and the warmth against her cheek was both her own and her girlfriend's. The matter that proved this point above all others was the smirking movement of Ruby's mouth as she whispered almost teasingly, almost hungrily, but with entirely justified certitude, "Mine."

* * *

><p>"Mine," Weiss mouthed to herself, savoring the meaning and feel of the word as she let it slip from her lips and flutter off into the unguarded silence of nighttime darkness. Occasionally she would allow herself to whisper, taking in the sound over and over again, but mostly she mouthed the word so to give herself the perception of secrecy. Though, it is not to say that she cared if her partner overheard. Like Ruby earlier, Weiss had no way to express the value she placed on that one fateful word, leaving her to simply delight in its existence. "Mine," Ruby had whispered, staking a bold claim in a girl so mindful of her own emotions and independence that such a feeling as this should have never occurred. But Ruby had succeeded, and with that one word, she had set Weiss' heart aflutter.<p>

The heiress could barely admit it, but she now looked forward to the next day and those beyond that. Before, life had been but an ever-ticking clock which counted down until the death of her family so that she might claim a throne she could not take. Life had meant only following the strict schedules she kept for herself and the progress she could achieve on a day-to-day basis, but now, with the promise of Ruby in the morning, she wanted only spontaneity and improvisation which had served her well in both her own efforts and her girlfriend's.

That was another word which was pleasant to think about. "Partner" and "Teammate" had been the only titles she could give to the young girl out of both spite and distance, but now they were girlfriends, and this came with a hopeful feeling. It was hope that their days together would be as warm as today and that their relationship would remain constant throughout their lives should no other comfort be found.

Weiss could still feel Ruby's arms around her. The young girl had been the only person allowed to hold her partner in such a way for so, so long and now the heiress wondered why this distance had been set in the first place. But such pressing matters could not last in this contented atmosphere. Instead, Weiss remembered only the circular motions of her girlfriend's hand, the warmth of the shoulder and cheek she pressed against, and that single word whispered to Weiss alone. This was not who the heiress was intended to be, but she did not care! The arms which held her without fear showed conviction that no one else in her father's society could so much as mimic. Ruby meant every word she had said, and when she answered "Yes," she had been honest.

"Mine," Weiss whispered to herself. "Mine." Try as she might, the smile on her face would not go away. She grinned like an idiot and she had no plans of stopping. It was a wholly uncharacteristic expression, but it felt right to react this way. If she were to treat this with distance, it was likely her debt would never be repaid, and if she were to drop her happy expression for one of expected indifference, then she would be no better than her father.

They were together now, Ruby and Weiss, and no matter what thoughts came previous to her inquiry, the heiress now wanted this relationship desperately and would enjoy it whole-heartedly. In fact, she took back every negative thing she had ever said or thought about Blake's relationship. She could see now why the Faunus strayed from her usual solitude. Although her comfort was in that brute of a blonde, Blake's change in happiness could now be empathized with. Perhaps Weiss could allow herself to be Ruby's own if Ruby would be hers in kind.

"Mine."

"Weiss?" came the uncertain, quiet voice from the bunk above.

The heiress blushed. Perhaps she had been caught and her façade of tact had been broken entirely. For this, Weiss answered calmly, forgoing proper speech for a more familiar route. "Yeah?"

"You're still up?" It was apparent Ruby had not heard the repetitions. As such, Weiss regained her smile but oddly did not lose her blush.

"Yeah."

"Good. 'Cause I can't get to sleep."

"Why's that?"

"No reason," Ruby said. "I'm just thinking about you is all." A laugh came from the upper bunk. "I still can't believe this is real. I mean, I thought it was just a pipe dream before you asked me out. Like, at the museum, I didn't think you'd like those romantic paintings because you were always so…I don't know, weird about that kind of stuff. I think I liked them a bit too much because looking at them gave away what I was thinking—I could tell you knew by the way you were looking at me. Honestly, I thought you were gonna yell at me if I thought of you like that. That's why I didn't really think of you that much until Yang and Blake started going out.

"I don't know," the young girl surmised. "I'm happy, I guess. Kinda jittery, too. But I'm probably more happy than anything, really. It's just that I don't know that much about dating. All Yang ever says when I ask her is, 'Don't worry about it, Ruby. You won't have to date anyone for a while, Ruby. Friends will be just fine, Ruby.' And I still don't know about that normal friend stuff we're supposed to do. I know that we're supposed to go on dates and stuff—honestly, I thought that most people started dating _after_ they go on their first date, but I guess not. But don't let me rush you, Weiss! Whenever you wanna go on a date, I'll be ready. I don't care how fast or slow we go, just as long as I'm with you, I'll be okay."

The blush deepened and the smile widened as Weiss shook her head, mostly out of pure excitement. "I'm thankful for you, too, Ruby. I…I'm glad you ran into me before initiation. Otherwise, I doubt we would have met."

A sheepish chuckle came from above. "Yeah, I'm sorry about all that. I still have to pay you back for all the Dust I ruined."

"No, no," Weiss assured. "It's fine. You've paid off that debt with your kindness since then. If that much Dust was the price I had to pay in order to meet you, then I would pay it a thousand times over to ensure that we'd meet again."

"Weiss!" the young girl suddenly whined. "Stop it! I can't say anything to that! You've gotta give me something to work off, just throw me a bone!"

Weiss could not help but release a low laugh, one that was an utter rarity to her being and one that reflected her newfound acceptance of the young girl. Ruby was so innocent, so unabashedly awkward that the heiress found her to be so pleasantly strange. The sound would soon stymie, but the smile would remain. "If you want, I could stop complimenting you entirely."

"Wha—No! No, I didn't mean it like that! Honest! I just—" She was interrupted by yet another quiet laugh from her partner. At this, Ruby gasped and moved from her position to peer down over the side of her bed at the girl who simply looked back at her. "Weiss! You're joking!"

"Is it a crime?" The heiress smirked.

"You? Joking? That's a life sentence somewhere, I'd bet. You're…You're Weiss! Weiss doesn't joke!"

Weiss arched an eyebrow. "Oh? Then what exactly do I do?"

"Uh…" Ruby squinted in apparent thought. It was likely she did not want to upset her partner, but this would not happen regardless, even if the young girl did not know it. "You look pretty and say words I don't know?"

"Flatterer."

"Hey, that's my line! You're the one saying stuff about me that I can't reply to."

Weiss did not respond, instead smiling widely at her most recent triumph. Though Ruby hung upside-down from the bunk above, her eyes still shimmered in the faint glow of the moon. It was as though an alternate reality existed behind those orbs, one without war or Grimm and one that had only peace and sunny summer days. Before, Weiss would have thought Ruby to be a child, but now she was certain that they were equals and would be for the foreseeable future. For this, the heiress' smile shined in a way it never had before.

Though Weiss could not see it, a blush grew on Ruby's features that deepened to the point where the young girl, for her own emotion's sake, had to groan and return to her bunk. "Now I can't even look at you! Great. How am I supposed to be the best girlfriend ever if you keep beating me to the punch?"

Weiss hummed. "You'll get there eventually."

The young girl released the conversation with a sigh, apparently aware of its impending dead end. The room would then fill with a comfortable silence with the only exceptions to this being the whispering breaths the partners would take and focus on.

The house was empty except for these two, and Weiss would not have it any other way—just her and Ruby against the world, against the Schnee Dust Company. It was doubtless that once Yang returned from her trip with Blake, there would be conflict, but for the time being, she would enjoy this quiet intimacy shared for once with another soul. It felt right, this relationship—more right than her position at her family's company or her attendance at the academy. Whatever lasting reservations she may have held disappeared after her initial inquiry and now hesitation fell away for an accepting stupor wherein she could only grin widely and remember the kindness the young girl had shown her.

"Weiss?" Ruby would ask one final time.

"Yeah?"

"Thanks for asking me out. I'm really excited about us dating."

"Me too, Ruby."

"I promise I won't let you down."

"I know you won't. I'll do my best as well."

Weiss could practically hear the smile evident in Ruby's sigh. "Good night, Weiss," she said. "I'll see you in the morning."

"Good night, Ruby. I'll see you then."

Soon after, the younger of the two would fall fast asleep, smiling brilliantly at the acceptance shown by such an unachievable girl while dreaming vividly as she so often did. Likewise, the heiress would smile like she never had before. Her father would hate this expression, but she was the one thing in his life he would never have power over. And if she was to date a younger huntress girl for her own pleasure, then it would only be the sweeter to know that his ire would be collateral. She found happiness with Ruby, and it had been a surprise to herself even after the question was asked. She found strength in companionship and purpose in life. She smiled in a way she had not before in her eighteen long years of self-discovery and grief. But now she was happy and her father could not do anything about it.

Wilhelm, the first of the Schnee name, had found power at Atlas' side. Between their friendship, the Grimm were pushed back and a kingdom was founded, creating a bond that had held true for millennia. Now a similar bond existed between herself and Ruby, even if it was not as imperative but more so romantic. If she could find happiness in an irregular source and still prove herself capable on the battlefield and in her family's company, then what reason was there to lament? Surely Wilhelm would sympathize with this relation, as both girls were warriors of increasing calibre and were comfortable around each other now. And though Otto might not accept this relation, it was painfully obvious to Weiss that Alexia would. The heiress' mother was like Ruby and would likely enjoy the young leader's perspective. They would have been friends, Weiss thought as her mind found peace and her body found slumber.

Spectral arms would creep around her form once again, cradling her head into the sturdy shoulder of her partner and holding her back reassuringly, not allowing any frailty or weakness under the cheerful support. She could still see the silver eyes, shining like the distant moon upon a foggy moor—it was hopeful, calming, beautiful. And as sleep overtook her, one final word escaped the heiress' lips as the whisper of its original speaker resonated through her mind—a single word so potent in its delivery that the sheer existence of it shook the foundation of all that Weiss had held true. "Mine."

* * *

><p>And there you have it. Ruby and Weiss are tentatively dating, emotions are riding high, and Weiss has gotten over her opposition to the concept of a relationship almost entirely. Hopefully the transition from hesitant to accepting was at least tolerable. There were a few sudden points, I will admit, but I saw no reason to drag out Weiss' obstinance for too long. Eventually, she would have to accept the situation, and in the case of this chapter, she allowed Ruby to help her. Now they can truly begin to stumble through their relationship together.<p>

Now, I should begin this afterword by remarking on the introduction of Weiss' mother, an event that I'm sure raised more than a few concerns. I am unsure as to how she is portrayed in other fan fictions, so I do not know if her characterization here was similar or disparate from other stories; however, in creating "original" characters for this story and _Valence_, I do not write to push an agenda or desire. Characters such as Blake's parents in _Valence_ and as well Weiss' family in this story are my interpretations of what is not only wanted from their characterizations in the series, but what is necessary for this tale. Weiss' mother, father, and Blake's parents all reflect their daughters and are to be both compared and contrasted to the focal characters they represent. If you have read _Valence_, then you know that these characters are integral to the perspectives' development, but they do not take precedence over the story.

Weiss' mother will be referenced again just as her father and sister will. However, _Edelweiss_ will always be about Ruby, Weiss, and their relationship above all else. If you have reservations about my interpretation of Weiss' mother, I just ask that you be patient. As the story progresses, her character will be understood and will contrast Weiss' father considerably.

Next, I should speak of Weiss, herself, and the development she underwent in this chapter. It should be stated outright that by the end of this chapter, she does like Ruby in a somewhat romantic way and she truly is excited about the relationship ahead of her. There is still progress to be made on the romanticism front, but for the time being, Weiss has accepted Ruby as her girlfriend and is enthused to progress. The final two chapters of this story are purposed to finalize their relationship and prove its worth to both characters involved—that is, the next two chapters will hopefully remove any remaining doubts as to Weiss' convictions.

And on the subject of convictions, Ruby's own should be mentioned. Personally, I feel that there was not enough in the way of development for her character in this instalment. Of course, she was excited about the prospect of dating and she did show ability in easing Weiss into the relationship, but there was a slight imbalance from my perspective that caused this chapter to lean more on Weiss' experience than Ruby's. Although, I cannot say that this was unexpected, being that in its planning stages, this chapter was intended to focus on Weiss crossing the bridge of antipathy. Similarly, the next chapter will focus on Ruby's experience and should counter the imbalance perceived in this chapter. In truth, I am excited about the next chapter—to those of you who have read the most recent instalment of _Valence_, you should understand why.

Finally, I must explain that after the events of this chapter—once Blake and Yang return from their trip—there will be conflict between Yang and Weiss concerning this new relationship. This will be referenced in the next chapter, but it will not be shown. However, this conflict and additional details about the events told here can be seen in the thirteenth chapter of _Valence_. For those of you who do not enjoy Bumblebee stories, I can assure you that the entirety of chapter thirteen's second section primarily focuses on this story's relationship and Ruby and Weiss' respective views on it. It is not necessary for you to read by any means, but if you would like context for the mentioned conflict between Yang and Weiss or if you would like to know Ruby and Weiss' retrospective commentary, then I would suggest the second section of _Valence_ chapter thirteen.

And with this, I have exhausted the purpose of this author's note. Thank you for reading. I know my chapters can be wordy and excessively so, but this is what I enjoy doing, and the fact that you all enjoy it as well means a lot. So, thank you again for supporting this story.

Stay safe and stay tuned.


End file.
